


The impossible hardship of fatherhood

by flamyshine



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), X-Men (Alternate Timeline Movies)
Genre: Father-Son Relationship, Fluff and Humor, Gen, Happy Ending, Iron dad and Spider son, M/M, Peter goes to Charles' school, Precious Peter Parker, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-10
Updated: 2018-01-07
Packaged: 2018-12-13 17:43:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 85,375
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11765079
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flamyshine/pseuds/flamyshine
Summary: Tony Stark has come back from the grave too many times to count. But he honestly has no idea how to handle a 15 year old kid rampaging through his heart.





	1. Today’s problem: A hot and angry Italian woman

**Author's Note:**

> 1) Hi! This is my first story in both fandoms! I’m so excited :D This story focuses on the parental adventures of Tony enrolling Peter in Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters, a special school for mutants. I plan to keep the story as light and funny as possible :)
> 
> 2) It’s set right at the end of the movie “Spider-Man: Homecoming”. For those who haven’t seen it and will not see it, it ends with Tony inviting Peter to be an Avenger, telling him that he has arranged a press conference. But Peter thinks that it’s a test and says that he’ll stay as ‘Your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man’ for a little longer. [So Tony had to announce something else in front of all those reporters, but he’s not with Pepper in this story, so he made an announcement about his company instead of an engagement like in the movie.] Meanwhile, Peter goes home and sees that Tony has returned his Spider-Man suit (Tony had confiscated it) and tries it back on. Just then, his aunt who doesn’t know that Spider-Man is her own nephew catches the sight of him and yells, “What the fu…!”
> 
> 3) For those who aren’t familiar with the other fandom, let me give you some basic information about the main characters.
> 
> (1) **Tony Stark** : He is Iron Man. He also runs Stark Industries which develops and manufactures advanced weapon and defense technologies. And, he built Spider-Man’s new suit and acts as his mentor. He’s also a multi-billionaire, a genius scientist, a playboy, and a philanthropist.  
> (2) **Peter Parker** : He’s a 15 year old kid who lives in Queens with his aunt after his parents were murdered when he was a child. He became Spider-Man after being bitten by a radioactive spider at a science exhibit. Very few people know that he’s Spider-Man and he’d like to keep it that way. He’s good at science and admires Tony.  
> (3) **Charles Xavier** : He’s an extremely powerful telepath and the founder of Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters. He believes in peace and leads the X-Men accordingly. He became paraplegic due to friendly fire. He’s also a multi-billionaire and a professor of genetics. He didn’t get much love from his parents as a child and turned their mansion into a school.  
> (4) **FRIDAY** : The A.I. that Tony created. It acts as his personal assistant and has a female voice.  
> (5) **KAREN** : The A.I. that Tony installed in Peter’s suit. Peter named it ‘KAREN.’  
> (6) **Quicksilver** : His name is Peter Maximoff and he’s the son of Erik Lehnsherr, aka Magneto. He can move extremely quickly. He has silver hair, loves music, and enjoys wearing dark colors.  
> (7) **Kitty Pryde** : She can pass through any kind of material. In the 'Days of Future Past', she can send someone back in time, but in this story, she's younger and is yet to develop such an ability.  
> (8) **May Parker** : She is Peter’s hot, Italian aunt. She doesn’t know about her nephew’s secret identity until the very last scene of the “Spider-Man: Homecoming” movie.  
> (9) **Happy Hogan** : Tony’s personal driver and bodyguard, and the head of security at the Avengers facility. He’s in charge of taking care of Peter and reports back to Tony.  
> (10) **Ned Leeds** : Peter's best friend back in Queens. He's excellent with computers and acted as Peter's "guy in the chair" in the film.  
> (11) **Vision** : He is the combination of an A.I. and a synthetic body. He can walk through walls.  
> (12) **Erik Lehnsherr** : His code name is Magneto and he runs the Brotherhood, a mutant supremacist organization. He's had an on and off relationship with Charles in this story.  
> (13) **James Rhodes** : He used to be in the U.S. military and is Tony’s best friend. He’s the War Machine, but he suffered a bad fall in “Captain America: Civil War” and is learning how to walk again.  
> (14) **Hank McCoy** : He works with Charles at the school and is a genius scientist. He can also turn into a blue Beast.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aunt May catches Peter in his Spider-Man suit and Peter calls Mr. Stark for help. Tony and May discuss the danger of the situation and their possible options. Unknown to Peter who has been sent to his room, there's a special future waiting for him.

  
Being a father figure was _hard_. It was much harder than creating an A.I. or coming up with ideas to save the world. It was even harder than dealing with a demi-god dressed like a grasshopper or carrying a nuke into a space portal. Really, he had thought that he had done it all and seen it all.

Tony sighed as he put up his feet on the coffee table. He wondered if he missed the days when the only hardship was running a multibillion-dollar company in an increasingly competitive era. But no, Peter was an amazing kid and he wouldn’t have it any other way. Besides, it had to be fate if that small kid at the Stark Expo from years ago had somehow gotten back on his radar.

He turned the page of the book _‘When your child is extra special’_. It was written by none other than Charles Xavier who ran a school for mutants. While he admitted that the book seemed to cover various topics that could come in handy, he just wasn’t feeling it. He had already read _‘Parenting in the 21st century’_ and was yet to read _‘Cry on the inside but smile on the outside’_ , but did books really help? He was dealing with a 15 year old boy whose biggest weapon was fake spider webs, who thought that he was done with regular education, and who would hack his Spider-Man suit just to keep a dangerous secret.

_Ping._

FRIDAY: Sir, incoming call from Peter Parker. It seems urgent, given the speed and pressure he used to press the numbers.

“Patch him through.” Tony sprang up from the couch as he summoned one of his Iron Man suits with his watch. He had left his number with the returned Spider-Man suit. Who knew the kid would’ve needed it right away? “Peter?”

“Mr. Stark! I’m so sorry if this is a bad time and I know you must be super busy but…”

“What’s the emergency?”

“What…? How…? Uh, Aunt May is freaking out. She caught me in my suit.”

“Where is she?”

“In the kitchen.”

“Doing what?”

“Uh, breathing into a take-out bag… Um, do you think you could come over? Please? Maybe explain to her what the Stark Internship is really about?”

“I’m on my way. Don’t let her faint.” Tony ended the call, got into his suit, and flew out the window. There was no time for doors or rooftops.

 

_Knock-knock._

Tony had parked his Iron Man suit in the corner of the hall and was standing in front of Miss Parker’s door. He winced as he heard a very angry woman shouting inside. He knocked again and hoped that he wouldn’t have to ring the bell. He felt like the sound of a doorbell –not particularly musical- might aggravate the poor woman.

“Who is it? Such bad timing!”

The door flew open and Tony came face to face with the fire burning in May’s eyes. “Good afternoon, May! Looking lovely as always!” He sniffed the air. “New perfume?”

“Air freshener,” May deadpanned. “Come in, _Mister_ Stark. You're just the man I want to see.”

“Fantastic! And, here I thought we didn't have much of a bond.” He gave her his best smile and took a peek over her shoulder. Peter was sitting on the couch, looking positively terrified. At least he had changed back into regular clothes.

May slammed the door behind her guest, narrowly missing his foot. It only felt slightly satisfying.

Tony gulped and gave Peter a small smile as he sat down next to the boy. He wondered if he could ask for something to drink. Hot and angry women always made him thirsty.

“Would you like something to drink?” May asked even as she was seething with anger. She hoped that Stark would want something hot so that she could _accidentally_ spill it all over him.

“A cup of coffee, please? No sugar or anything. Thank you.” As soon as May left for the kitchen, Tony ruffled Peter’s hair. “Hey, what went down here exactly?” he whispered, knowing that Peter could hear him loud and clear with his heightened senses.

“I was thrilled to see my suit again, so I tried it on! I didn’t know she was home! She yelled ‘What the fuck!’ and it’s been pretty much non-stop yelling ever since. I had my back to her so I thought about jumping out the window, but she already knew it was me. I tried to explain from the beginning, but I’m not sure if I made much sense…” Peter’s shoulders drooped as he fiddled with the edge of the coffee table.

“Don’t sweat it. We’ll figure this out together.” Tony patted the boy on the back. He had been delegating Peter’s supervision to Happy, but he was planning to take a more hands-on approach from now on.

Peter nodded, feeling much better with Mr. Stark by his side. Then he realized that they had another matter to discuss. “By the way, you really had reporters in there. I watched the press conference. So it wasn’t a test?”

Tony waved off Peter’s suspicious look. He didn’t want Peter to feel the pressure if he wasn’t ready to become an Avenger yet. “I already had an announcement to make. Those reporters were there for that. And, if you accepted my offer, then I would’ve simply added some news about you in the end.”

Peter nodded, but his Spidey senses were tingling. “Hmm… So you’re really installing wells for clean water in Africa?”

“Sounds like it,” Tony spoke with confidence. It wasn’t a lie. He had thought about the Water Well Project for a while, but there had never been enough time to prepare for it. But now that the news was out, he’d just have to go for it.

“Wow, I think that's great, Mr. Stark! For a second, I thought you had made that announcement on the spot.”

“Why would you think that…?”

Peter shrugged. “You didn’t have any fancy visual material. You usually use holograms and really dramatic music! And, you didn’t seem to be too sure about which countries would get the wells.”

Tony huffed. The kid was too smart for his own good. He was about to cook up an airtight explanation when May came out with a tray. The tray slipped near his knees, but Peter’s hand shot out at a superhuman speed and gently put it down on the coffee table.

May felt tears put out the fire in her eyes. So it was true. Her nephew was no longer safe with her. People noticed those kinds of things and it wouldn’t be long before he became a target; if he wasn’t one already. She shivered with shock and sorrow. How could this happen? Peter was all she had, and yet, she wasn’t equipped to protect him from danger. She sat down facing the two superheroes, feeling as if her Peter were miles away. He was on the other side of the coffee table with Stark while she was alone with a broken heart and a blurry vision. She blinked a few times to see Peter’s face more clearly when something warm wrapped around her back. It was Stark’s suit jacket.

Tony held up his hands and moved his ass back next to Peter. “I’m sure you have questions and I’ll give you answers if I can. The cat’s out of the bag, so I’m not gonna sugarcoat it. It’s time for the cold, hard truth.” Then he looked at the kid. “Peter, can you take your Coke to your room and give us the stage? The adults need to talk.”

Peter pouted a little, but he got up with his can of Coke. He thought about pointing out that he’d still be able to hear everything from his room. But Mr. Stark had dropped the ‘adult’ line again and he knew better than to open his mouth. He did take more than his share of biscuits from the tray though. What? He would need to crunch on them if he was going to try not to eavesdrop on the _adults’_ conversation.

“Unbelievable... He listens to you. He hates it when I tell him to go to his room.” A tear rolled down May’s face as she stared at the closed door of Peter’s bedroom. She turned her face and wiped it away. But fresh tears kept coming and it was soon impossible to get them all in time.

“Shhh, it’s going to be okay. He’s going to be just fine.” Tony moved to her side of the couch and let her put her head on his shoulder. “I’ve put every possible function in that suit, and there’s even an A.I. in there that could help him with pretty much anything.”

May sobbed even harder. What kind of situations could Peter possibly get into? How much help did he need to survive out there?

Tony tried to murmur soothing words as his shoulder got wetter and wetter. He felt for the woman, and yet, he also felt a little bit jealous. When was the last time that someone had shed tears for him?

“Tell me, Mr. Stark. What can I do for him?” May pulled out some Kleenex to clean herself up and returned the jacket to its owner.

Tony admired her strength. Her world had just crumbled under her feet and she was already thinking about the future. “Well, for a starter, I think you should help him realize that it’s only a matter of time before people find out who Spider-Man is. We all know that Spider-Man operates in Queens. Yet, he was somehow in D.C. to rescue a bunch of high-school kids from Queens. There are very few members on that academic decathlon team, and it’s going to be way too easy to find out which one of them wasn’t wearing school clothes in that elevator. All you have to do is check the news.”

May nodded, trying to stop her hands from shaking. “Do you think we should move? But that doesn’t sound like a problem that will go away with moving. It would be just as easy to find out which student on that decathlon team moved to another school around the time Spider-Man switched towns.”

“Yes, I couldn’t agree more. That’s why I want you to consider moving to the new Avengers facility. It’s the safest place I can think of. Spider-Man is a pre-Avenger, so you guys have all the right to come live with us.”

“He’s a pre-Avenger?” May asked with wonder and surprise.

“He would’ve been a proper Avenger since an hour ago if he hadn’t turned me down. I wanted to tell the world that ‘Spider-Man is now one of the Avengers!’ That way, even if someone figures out that it’s Peter, it’ll be easier to discourage them from going after him. Everyone will know that if they mess with him, they’ll have to deal with the rest of the Avengers.”

May gasped. “He turned you down? Wow, I didn’t think he had it in him.”

Tony groaned while May looked a little bit proud. “Yes, he thought it was a test and turned me down. And, it hurt my feelings greatly, but I’m starting to realize that this must be what it’s like to be around a child.”

May had to laugh at that. The great Tony Stark looked absolutely helpless as he drank his coffee and ate a biscuit. “Would you like to borrow some of my old parenting books?”

“No thanks. I still haven’t read _‘Cry on the inside but smile on the outside’_. That one sounds like a real charmer.”

May laughed again. Stark was starting to grow on her, which was alarming in itself. But then, it was also a huge relief to know that she could trust someone so resourceful with Peter. “You said ‘for a starter.’”

“Huh? These biscuits are great! Where did you get these?”

“From the store across the street. If you like them so much, I can give you a packet. We’ve got plenty.”

Tony squinted. “Are you hitting on me, May Parker?”

May snorted. “You wish. Now tell me more about our options.”

“Well, if we’re getting him out of Queens, I’d like to enroll Peter in a different kind of school.” Tony frowned at the last biscuit. Now he understood why Peter had taken so many of them to his room. He couldn’t believe that Peter had never mentioned these biscuits before. Traitor.

“Any specific schools in mind? A school for up-and-coming superheroes, maybe?” May got up to fetch some more biscuits.

“As a matter of fact, there _is_ such a school in Westchester. It’s run by a great friend of mine, Dr. Charles Xavier. Perhaps you know him better as Professor X from the X-Men.”

May gasped. “Yes, of course. He looked very kind and handsome on TV the other day.”

“I’m sure he did.” Tony wondered what his friend looked like these days. While he had had several conversations with Charles through their telepathic link, he hadn’t seen him in quite some time.

“So what kind of a school is it exactly?” May waited patiently for an answer as she watched her guest shove another biscuit in his mouth. Did billionaires not have enough time to eat? Or was Stark a stress eater? Or did these biscuits somehow contain alcohol or weed? She picked the smallest biscuit on the plate and took a careful bite. On her non-superhero palate, it tasted like a regular biscuit that had apparently found its meaning of existence in Tony Stark’s mouth.

“It’s a special school for mutants. I have no idea what they actually teach. If you want, I could ask him to send over some brochures.”

“Peter is a mutant now…?”

“Well, his genetic makeup was modified when he got bitten by that spider. So yes, I assume we could call him that.”

May nodded as she took a sip of coffee. It had never tasted so bitter. All she had wanted for Peter was to grow up as a regular boy and have a simple life. Being in the spotlight might look dazzling, but it had its consequences. “The school sounds amazing, but it also sounds expensive…”

“Ah, you don’t have to worry about that. They don’t charge the students for anything. Charles has more than enough money to keep the school running.”

“Oh, that’s wonderful. And, you think Peter could get in?”

“I don’t see why not. As far as I know, they don’t have any tests. Not that Peter wouldn’t nail them. He didn’t want to tell you about Spider-Man, so I couldn’t bring up this topic sooner, but I’m glad we’re talking about it now. And, he’ll be getting decent science lessons. The school has a marvelous scientist in the name of Dr. Hank McCoy. I would’ve recruited him ages ago if he wasn’t so attached to Charles.”

May took another sip of her coffee. This was surreal. It felt like she was a character from a comic book. “Do you think he’ll do okay there? I mean, I don’t know much about superheroes or mutants, but shooting spider webs doesn’t sound like much of a superpower.”

Tony gasped. “Don’t let the kid hear you say that! He makes those web fluids himself and they’re his proudest creation!”

“He _makes_ those? Then what exactly is his superpower…?”

“He can climb walls and lift a bus and jump really far and do a lot of flips in a row and…” Tony coughed a little. It sounded ridiculous. “You know, I bet there are worse superpowers out there. And, Peter’s greatest power comes from his pure heart. I’m sure we can agree on that one.”

May smiled. “Yes, I always knew he’d be helping people someday. I imagined him raising funds and volunteering at charity events. I never imagined this though.”

“Yeah, I guess life is good at throwing sucker punches, huh?” Tony was about to add another joke when he noticed that May’s face had gone grim. “What is it?”

“I can move. I can help him with the new school. But am I going to be a burden?”

“What do you mean?” Tony did not like where this was headed.

“I’m his family. You know what happens in movies. Are people going to use me to hurt him? Am I going to be his weak spot?”

Tony shook his head. “You can’t think like that, May.”

“I have to face the reality. Do you think I could get abducted? Should I fake my own death?”

“What? No! Of course not. We have a state-of-the-art security system and I promise I’ll do everything in my power to keep you two safe. How does that sound?”

“Too good to be true… But thank you, Tony. I just don’t know how I could ever repay you for any of this. You know, you could just take Peter and leave me here. I’d be okay.”

“Nuh-uh, I’m not going to do that to him. He’d want to live with you.”

“Well, if you insist…” May didn’t want to send Peter away.

“I insist.”

May smiled, feeling like she could breathe for the first time since this madness had started. “Where you guys live, is it far from Westchester?”

“Nah, it’s not very far. We have recently moved upstate and it’s probably less than an hour’s drive. There’s certainly going to be less traffic than in Manhattan, and my Audi’s auto-driving A.I. could figure out a safe way to go as fast as possible.”

“Excellent!”

“But before we go any further, I think Peter should get a say, don’t you think?”

“Of course. But I’d be very surprised if he says no to any of this. I’ll go check on him and bring him out. You can wait here with the biscuits.”

“I’m thinking about heavily investing in this brand, so take all the time you need.”

As May headed towards Peter’s bedroom, she didn’t know what to expect. Had the boy been crying, listening to her cry? Or had he blamed himself for hurting her and had left for a quick stroll out the window? Whatever she had expected, it wasn’t what she saw when she opened the door. The boy was conked out on his bed with a few biscuits on his chest.

She smiled and got a blanket out of his drawers. Superhuman or not, it was advisable to nap under something warm and cozy. She wished that she could take a picture of him looking so peaceful, but she didn’t want to risk waking him up.

Tony watched from the living room as May pulled the blanket up to Peter’s chin and gave him a kiss on the forehead. He turned his head, refusing to intrude any more on the intimate moment. Did she give him kisses like that every night? If Peter really came to live with him, would he let Tony do that for him someday?

“I’m sorry, Tony. He’s fast asleep. And, I know we’ve already taken too much of your time today.”

Tony waved off her apology. “No problem. We should let him rest. I can come back at another time.”

May smiled and shook hands with Tony before he left with two packets of his favorite biscuit. A yawn tore out of her as she locked the front door. She could use a nap as well. Her Auntie senses were tingling, and she knew that she needed rest. It wouldn’t be easy to deal with a teenager who would be jumping up and down until God knows when at his bright, new future.

 


	2. Today’s problem: A giggly teenage mess

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter finds out about Tony and May’s plans. He can’t stop jumping up and down with joy. He also gets to check out his new house and new school. Life is awesome! Meanwhile Tony and Charles catch up with each other and Tony just can't catch a break. His poor heart! 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1) In Chapter 1, Tony had some parenting books, but I had messed up the html and the titles hadn't gone through. I fixed it now, but they were "When your child is extra special", "Parenting in the 21st century", and "Cry on the inside but smile on the outside".
> 
> 2) Droney is a mini recon-drone that's detachable from the front of the Spider-Man suit, where the spider symbol is.
> 
> 3) This chapter comes with visual aid in the form of pictures.
> 
> 4) Sorry for the late update! I didn't expect this chapter to go over 7k! D:
> 
> 5) Thank you so much to those who left kudos and comments on the previous chapter. They've given me a lot of courage :D 

  
_In the previous chapter…_  


May had found out that Spider-Man was none other than her own nephew, so Peter had called Tony for help. May and Tony had discussed the danger of the situation and available options. Tony had insisted that May and Peter move to the safe and new Avengers facility and suggested enrolling Peter in a special school for mutants. May had walked into Peter’s room to bring him out for discussion, but he had fallen asleep.

 

Peter woke up with a huge yawn and glanced at the clock on his nightstand. Geez, he had slept a full hour in the middle of the afternoon. Stressed much? He tugged off the blanket that hadn’t been there when he had fallen asleep. Aunt May must’ve tucked him in. Where was she now? Had Mr. Stark left? Why was it so quiet outside? He put his keen sense of hearing to use and heard May’s soft heartbeat coming from her bedroom. Ah, she was asleep. Did that mean she and Mr. Stark had come to an understanding?

He got off his bed and walked out to the living room. There didn’t seem to be a note left for him. Ah, the suspense! But that was all right. He had sneaked Droney out of his room to record the conversation, so he could just listen to that. He picked up Droney from the corner and went back into his room. Hmm, he had meant to skip patrol today since he would have to deal with May, but it seemed like she had already been dealt with. And, if he was going to activate his suit to let KAREN replay the recording, he might as well go out in it. So he quickly put on his suit, grabbed his backpack, and opened the window. This could be his last patrol for a while if May was planning to ground him.

“Hey, Karen!” Peter greeted his A.I. as he swung over to a building nearby.

KAREN: “Good afternoon, Peter.”

“Could you replay what Droney’s got? I don’t want to miss a single word.” Peter swung from building to building as he looked around for trouble or someone to help. He had thought about respecting May and Mr. Stark’s privacy at first, but they had been talking about _him_. It was _his_ fate in the balance here and he didn’t just want to know the verdict; he also wanted to know how they had gotten there. He felt like a spy as he listened to the recording. He also felt a little bit guilty for using Mr. Stark’s technology against him, but he was sure that Mr. Stark would’ve done the same in his place.

“Oh no, Karen… She’s crying.” Peter swallowed his tears as his heart broke at the sound of his aunt sobbing. He had already heard it while sending out Droney earlier, but it sounded much clearer as if she was sobbing right into his ears. While it was a relief that he didn’t have to lie to May anymore, he hated that now she was going to imagine him in every dangerous scenario possible.

KAREN: “Don’t worry, Peter. She stops crying in two minutes and fifty two seconds.” That didn’t make him feel any better; the damage had already been done. But then, he freaked out as Mr. Stark explained how easy it would be to find out who Spider-Man was. A part of him had always known that, but it was difficult to hear it. It was going to come out sooner than later, but he didn’t want to announce it to the world just yet.

Then he started getting bombed by information that he couldn’t possibly process. Did Mr. Stark really invite them to come live with him and the other Avengers? Did May have a crush on Professor X? And, was he a mutant now? He hadn’t really thought about it. Was it the same thing as superhuman? Wow, Mr. Stark thought that he could get into Professor X’s school. The school sounded amazing and they didn’t even charge anything. He was about to ask KAREN for more information on this new school when the worst part of the recording hit him like an airplane:

_May: “But shooting spider webs doesn’t sound like much of a superpower.”_

_Tony (gasped): “Don’t let the kid hear you say that! He makes those web fluids himself and they’re his proudest creation!”_

_May: “He makes those? Then what exactly is his superpower…?”_

“Oh no, she didn’t.” Peter made a dying sound as he put a hand over his heart. He had to stop swinging and sit down on a rooftop. He rummaged through his backpack and pulled out an emergency Mars bar. “She did _not_ make fun of my super scientific webs.”

KAREN: “I think Miss Parker merely pointed out that your weapon of choice was unusual.”

“I’m _Spider_ -Man! What other weapon can I use? Poison sounds like a bit too much! I can’t believe May thinks Spider-Man’s webs are lame! I’m going to tell her everything I’ve done with these amazing webs and then she’ll understand.” Peter took a big bite of the chocolate bar as he groaned in frustration. Perhaps it was karma getting back at him for listening in on his aunt and mentor.

KAREN: “I think you should keep listening, Peter. There’s some wonderful praise for you right after that.”

“Really…?” Peter let KAREN play the rest of the recording and heard how Mr. Stark thought that his greatest power came from his pure heart and how May had always known that he would grow up to help people. He grinned as he basked in their love, care, and pride. He had worried that today might be one of the worst days of his life, but it turned out to be the complete opposite. May wasn’t planning on disowning him or stopping Spider-Man. She just wanted him to be safe.

“Ehehehe…” Peter couldn’t stop making weird happy noises. Life was suddenly awesome. He finished his Mars bar and looked down. A woman was having trouble parking. He didn’t have a driver’s license, but he could push her car into the right spot. So he pulled his mask back down and leaped off the rooftop. He was Spider-Man and he had a job to do.

 

Time flew as Peter got ready for his new life. He and May figured out what to keep and what to throw out. Well, technically, May did most of the figuring out while Peter jumped up and down in glee, everything finally starting to sink in. He also terrorized his poor aunt by telling her what he had done as Spider-Man –only the less dangerous ones! He just wanted her to know that he was much stronger than she thought and to be proud of him.

Peter was going to move first because May needed another week to deal with work. She wanted Peter to move as soon as possible since school had already started. Professor X had sent over an admissions packet, and for once, Peter couldn’t wait to go to school. That said, it was still difficult to say goodbye to his friends, teachers, and Mr. Delmar. He was going to come back to Queens every weekend to patrol and hang out with them, but he knew that things would never be the same.

Then the moving day came.

Tony was walking out of the new Stark Industries headquarters that was at a stone’s throw from the new Avengers facility. Happy had just alerted him that his ETA was five minutes. He had sent Happy with a car, several Stark drones, and an auto-driving van to help with the moving. Thank god the R&D meeting had been wrapping up; he wanted to be the first one to welcome the kid to his new home.

He grinned as he scrolled through his phone and pulled up the long text message that Peter had sent him a week ago. It was full of gratitude and admiration, and he had already read it too many times to count. He had even made four backup copies, regardless of FRIDAY’s reassurance that two would be enough. While the text message was absolutely delightful, another reason why he had read it so much was because Peter hadn’t given him anything else all week. Happy had told him that the kid had only talked about moving and nothing about Spider-Man business. Huh, how weird.

Tony would’ve found that weird much earlier if he hadn’t been drowning in work. But he had been busy delegating everything that he could to make more time for Peter. Now that he was a father figure, he had to rearrange his priorities. Kids grew up fast and he wanted to spend as much time with Peter as possible.

“Okay, let’s see what you’ve been up to.” Tony kept walking as he accessed his ‘Spiderling’ folder that FRIDAY updated on a regular basis. He almost dropped his phone and stopped cold at the disturbing headlines: _‘Spider-Man loses control of his limbs’, ‘Spider-Man loses his head’, ‘Do superheroes get super seizures?’, ‘Local hero not a dancing machine’._

“What…?” Tony sat down on a bench and played the video attached to the first article. Then he watched the ones attached to the other three. They had all been filmed on different days, but they had one thing in common: Spider-Man moving around on a rooftop, his body contorted with… joy? Tony squinted as he tried to figure out if Peter was twisting his body because he had used itchy soap or if that was some sort of a victory dance like the fourth article claimed. He checked other articles on Spider-Man’s crime-fighting, but nothing seemed special enough to merit such an overwhelming victory dance. A regular person would’ve dislocated a few bones.

“Mr. Stark!”

Tony jumped at the sight of Peter nearly flying out of the backseat when the car hadn’t even stopped yet.

“Whoa! Careful there, kid! Always wait until the car comes to a full stop.” Tony knew that Peter wouldn’t easily get hurt, but he still wanted him to follow the basic safety rules. He got up and looked Peter closely in the face when the kid just stood there, grinning from ear to ear. He had expected a pout and a defiant “But I’m Spider-Man, Mr. Stark!”, not a goofy grin. He put a hand on Peter’s forehead to check if he had a fever. He didn’t feel particularly warm but his grin got even bigger, much to his dismay.

“What are you doing here, boss?” Happy rolled down his window with a chuckle. “Did you get lost?”

“Lost? Yeah, you could say that. I apparently got lost in a _very_ alarming alternate universe. I need to go back to my own world.” Tony waved off both Peter and Happy’s questioning looks and started walking home again. They were almost there so he let Peter walk with him while Happy drove ahead of them, followed by the moving van.

“So, Mr. Stark… I just wanted to tell you again how much this means to me,” Peter spoke softly as he tried not to upset his mentor who looked very confused. “Thank you so much for all of this and I promise you won’t regret it.”

“Okay…” Tony pulled up one of the dancing videos and pushed his phone into Peter’s face. “Care to explain? What on green Hulk happened out there?”

Peter looked at the video and laughed with a light blush on his cheeks. “Oh… I was just happy. I still am.”

“Happy? Why? It’s a dark and dangerous world, Mr. Parker. Even Happy who is called ‘Happy’ isn’t happy, so what could’ve possibly made you _this_ happy?”

“You, Mr. Stark! I thought you got my text!”

“I did, but that was a week ago…”

“That was _only_ a week ago!”

Tony groaned when Peter spotted the drones moving his boxes into the building and started doing flips as he followed them around. He looked like an overexcited puppy whose smile was about to break his face. That was when it hit him. Was Peter so happy because he was excited about moving in with the Avengers? Did he really admire them that much? He didn’t get to put more thought into that question as Peter moved on to _dancing_. Oh no. “Hold it right there, kid. Your moves are killing my joints. And, why are you dancing when you haven’t seen my housewarming gift?”

Peter stood still as his eyes grew wide. “You got us a housewarming gift?”

“No, just you. May wouldn’t know what to do with it.” Tony chuckled.

“Oh my god! You didn’t have to, Mr. Stark! I’m already on cloud like… 999! But can I just know what it is…? Please?”

Tony put a hand over his heart as Peter attacked him with his puppy eyes. That was so rude. He got him a gift and Peter wanted to give him a heart failure? He fished a key out of his suit jacket pocket and dangled it in front of the kid’s eyes. His head swayed along with the movement of the key. Yep, definitely a puppy. “Follow me.”

Peter caught the key that Tony had thrown over his shoulder and followed him into the building. He had been inside before, but he had only been on the ground level.

Tony led Peter to the elevator and watched him absorb everything in his new environment. There was boundless joy in the kid’s muscles and youthful appreciation in his eyes.

“So like… are we on the same floor?” Peter asked as they got out of the elevator.

“No, you’re one floor down. This is my floor.” Tony walked towards the end of the hallway.

“So I get to live _directly_ under you…?” Peter asked in a hopeful voice.

Tony laughed as he ruffled Peter’s hair. “Yes, directly under me. Now use that key to open this door.” He pointed at a door that didn’t have a number or a peephole.

Peter did as he was told. The door opened to a small science lab. It looked like Tony’s personal mini-lab. Had Tony made him something?

“Of course you can always just ask FRIDAY to let you in. The key was more of a symbol.” Tony walked in and gestured for Peter to do the same. Then he pulled off the sheet on top of a work station. “Ta-dah! What do you think?”

Peter blinked. There was nothing in the middle of the work station. There were just a few tools on one side. Tony hadn’t made him anything. “Um, what am I supposed to look at?”

Tony smiled. “This is your work station. That one over there is mine. I thought it would be nice to work together. As you can see, I got you some basic tools to start with, but we’ll obviously need to order some more. We also need to…” He panicked as tears welled up in the kid’s eyes. “Peter…?”

Peter gritted his teeth as he tried not to bawl his eyes out like a baby. Why was Mr. Stark so kind and generous? He apparently hadn’t learned all this from his old man, so how did he know how to care for people so well? Surely not all dads and mentors were like this… Was Mr. Stark a guardian angel? Did he even deserve all this?

“Peter, are you okay? Tell me what’s wrong and I will fix it.” Tony carefully held Peter by his shoulders, but that seemed to generate the opposite of the desired effect. Tears were now falling freely from the kid’s eyes, stabbing his chest like liquid spikes. He was about to ask Charles for help when Peter moved. “Woof!”

Peter trapped Tony in a death hug and held onto him. “Thank you, thank you, thank you! You’re the best, Mr. Stark! Nobody has ever done anything like this for me, so I don’t know what to do, but I’ll try to make you happy too! I’ll try and try and try and try! Weee-!”

Tony blinked as he patted Peter on the back. Peter’s face was digging into his chest, and dear lord, he needed to schedule an electrocardiography.

 

The next day, the first thing that Tony did in the morning was to check if his heart was still beating. It was a Saturday, so he could take a few moments in bed and sigh in relief. Yesterday had been detrimental to his heart, to say the least. He had always assumed that nothing could be worse for his heart than the shrapnel that he had finally taken out of his body, but oh boy had he been mistaken.

He had helped Peter unpack everything in his own room and had given him a tour of the facility. It was needless to say that the kid had been a giggly mess during the whole tour. He had worried that Peter might faint when he had met his bots, Dum-E and U, but thankfully his superhuman body had been able to handle the excitement. His heart had caught a break for a couple of hours while he had returned to the office. But Happy had called in a frenzy of despair, begging him to take the boy back. Then dinner had happened with just the two of them, and when it had been time for bed, the kid had stalled. He hadn’t had the heart to send Peter downstairs, so now he had an exhausted teenager in his guest bedroom… or that was what he had thought.

_Knock-knock._

“Good morning, Mr. Stark!” Peter took off his mask and grinned as he waved from outside the window. “It’s a great day for climbing!”

Tony let out a long sigh. He would’ve jumped out of his skin if he had had the energy to. “FRIDAY, open the damn window and let him in.”

FRIDAY: “Certainly, sir. One Spiderling incoming. It rhymes.”

Tony snorted at FRIDAY’s sense of humor as he sat up in bed. Something told him that it was going to be another long day.

After breakfast, Tony and Peter got ready to check out the new school. For that, they needed a snack basket and a car. Happy was going to pick up May from Queens and Tony was going to drive Peter to Westchester himself.

“Holy Iron Man! Are these all yours?” Peter jumped into the garage and moved at superspeed to check out all the cars.

“Some of them were my father’s. Now pick one. They should all have enough gas, so pick anything you like.” Tony texted Charles that they were about to head out. He didn’t want to use their telepathic link in case Charles was still in bed.

“Uh, this one?” Peter chose a red Ferrari that looked sleek and powerful. Red had always been his favorite color; it was the one color that Iron Man and Spider-Man had in common.

“Excellent choice!” Tony made a show of applauding. “Ferrari J50 2017. It’s a limited edition. Only ten of these in the world. And, you know, it’s based on a former 488 _Spider_ model.”

“Really? That’s so cool! I knew I liked this one for a reason!” Peter jumped in the passenger seat as Tony turned on the ignition. He touched the edge of the seat and made a happy sound. Oh my god, the leather was to die for. He buckled up and rubbed his face against the top of the seat. “It’s so soft, Mr. Stark. I could sleep here for the rest of my life.”

“Well, if May ever kicks you out, you can sleep in here,” Tony joked as he vroomed out of the garage. He was about to put on some music when he noticed that the powerful sound of a high-performance engine, the peaceful sound of the trees rustling in the breeze, and Peter’s somewhat maniacal giggles were all the music that he needed.

“So how do you and Professor X know each other? Is it a billionaire thing?” Peter asked as he pulled out a box of caramel from the snack basket.

“Yeah, you could say that,” Tony answered as he adjusted the rear-view mirror. He could activate the auto-driving mode and take it easy, but he enjoyed driving. Like many other CEOs, he was a control freak and the steering wheel felt right in his hands.

“That’s all I get? Do I need to be at least a level 4 friend to unlock this secret?”

“Level 4?”

“It’s a gaming reference.” Peter moaned at the sugar rush. Tony had told him that he had personally picked up these caramels from a Japanese caramel master.

“Hey, you can’t hoard it all. You want answers? Then give me some love.” Tony slowed down a little bit so Peter could throw a caramel into his mouth. He sighed at the instant feeling of angels caressing his tongue.

“So? My answer?” Peter prompted as he unwrapped another piece of heaven.

“Well, his parents and my parents belonged to the same social circle. I’d see him all the time at parties and events. Neither of us got much love from our dads and then we lost them, so we stuck together like brothers. Good old times.” Tony smiled as he remembered how Charles had used to follow him around like a puppy.

“Was he a powerful telepath even then?”

“Oh, you bet. We had a lot of fun with that.” Tony chuckled. “And, for _that_ , you need to be a level 4 friend.”

“Which level am I at?” Peter asked with an anxious look on his face.

“Level 0.3.” Tony smirked.

“Game levels don’t work that way, Mr. Stark. It’s either 0 or 1, and I don’t think it’s 0. I actually thought it was 3…? I mean, we hug now!”

“That was just one time yesterday and that bumps you up to level 2 at best.”

“But we even live together!”

“We live in the same _building_ together.”

“But I live right under you! And, remember how I watched you sleep this morning? That was almost like living together!”

“Okay, I totally forgot about that, but that was very disturbing. You already witnessed my level 4 secret. Now you’ll have to be a level 8 friend to hear about me and Charles.”

“But I thought you looked great! Straight out of an oil painting! I even asked KAREN to zoom in, so I could see you better!”

“Flattery will get you everywhere, Mr. Parker, but not to level 8.”

“Urgh!”

Tony grinned as he made a left turn. Bantering with the kid gave him life.

 

Peter gulped as they approached the school premises. He could just make out the school plate that read ‘Xavier’s School for Gifted Pranksters.’ Wait, what…? Huh, there definitely was a gifted prankster in the school who had glued a piece of paper over the last word.

“Nervous?” Tony asked as he noticed that Peter had gone quiet.

“Yeah, a little.” Peter held onto his seatbelt.

“Are you worried they’ll find out about our mutual friend?” Tony showed off his new car to the small crowd that had gathered in front of the main building. He drove around, pretending to look for a decent parking spot.

“Oh, not really. May and I talked about that and if they find out, they find out.” Peter shrugged. “I mean, I’m showing up with you here and people saw us together on the ferry. Maybe someone saw you fish me out of the water too. And, this is a safe place, right?”

“Yes, it is. And, I bet these kids love him anyway.”

“You think?”

“Of course! There’s no other teenage superhero, is there?”

“But perhaps they don’t know that he’s a teenager?”

Tony laughed as he parked not too far away from the fountain. “I won’t answer that one and let you keep your dignity. All right. Let’s hop out.”

Peter carefully climbed out of the car and looked at all the people. Some of them were looking at him, but most of them were gawking at Mr. Stark. He was even more grateful for Mr. Stark showing up with him as he took most of the spotlight off his back. He followed his mentor to the entrance and saw Professor X walk out, wearing the exoskeleton suit that Mr. Stark had designed for paraplegics.

“Charles!” Tony opened his arms and waited for Charles to walk over to him before hugging him tight. It felt like seeing an old friend, an old lover, and a little brother all together. He should’ve visited more often.

_‘I missed you too, Anthony,’_ Charles wrapped the words in a warm mental blanket and sent them over to Tony’s mind.

“Let me have a good look at you.” Tony pulled back and did just that. “You’re still rocking the Humpty Dumpty look and the kids didn’t give you too many new lines. You look great! The suit’s working all right?”

“Haha, yes. Hank has tweaked a few things.”

“Ah, you’re in very able hands. Where is he? It’s a little early to hibernate, but should I check the rabbit holes? Woof…!” Tony was lifted off the ground by a massive blue arm that was wrapped around his waist from behind. He heard Peter gasp and signaled with his hand to stand down.

“For the last time, Tony, I do not hibernate. And, rabbits don’t hibernate either.” Hank gently put down Tony on the ground. And, when Tony turned around, he gave him a huge grin that frankly looked terrifying.

“Well, a good science lesson right there. How have you been doing, Hank?” Tony regretted it the moment he asked; Hank’s face had turned sour.

“You know how we’ve been…” Hank thought about their war with the Brotherhood. Many of its members had once been their allies and the whole thing was still too fresh in his mind.

“Yeah, that was a stupid question. I’ve been the same.” Tony shook his head and refused to think about his missing friends. That way lay madness and today was about Peter… who was talking to a kid with silver hair near the fountain. Huh, he knew quite a handful of Charles’ students by sight, but he had never seen this one before. He jabbed an elbow into Hank’s side. “Who’s that one?”

Hank laughed. “I’m going to let Charles answer that. I need to get back to the lab anyway. See you around, Tony.”

Tony frowned as he waved a hand at Hank. What was wrong with the kid? Was Charles harboring a young fugitive?

“He’s Erik’s,” Charles answered, enjoying the look of confusion on his dear friend’s face.

“What do you mean ‘Erik’s’? He’s Lehnsherr’s protégé?”

“No, he’s Erik’s son.”

Tony did a double take. “Wait a minute. Are you telling me that Erik Lehnsherr has a biological son? That megalomaniacal mutant supremacist is responsible for a chiid?”

“That’s right. Honestly, I don’t know why people are so surprised. He pushes his di…” Charles remembered that there were students nearby and caught himself at the last moment. “But don’t worry. He’s not much like his father if that’s what you’re worried about. We both know that the apple _can_ in fact fall far from the tree.”

Tony smiled at the old memories that Charles sent into his mind. It had been their childhood goal: Make the apple fall as far as possible from the rotten tree. He just hoped that they were making good progress.

_‘Oh, I’m positive that we are,’_ Charles answered in Tony’s mind. _‘The fact that we’re saving the world and trying to leave a good legacy has thrown the apple out of this world. It’s a space apple now.’_

Tony chuckled and thought back, _‘Yeah, those old men can suck it in their graves. But why does the kid have goggles on his head? What’s up with this generation and goggles in general?’_ He was reminded of Peter’s awful ‘eyes’ of his home-made Spider-Man suit.

_‘He doesn’t move metal like Erik. He runs fast, so he needs them to protect his eyes.’_

_‘Just how fast are we talking about here?’_

_‘Would you like to find out?’_ Charles gave Tony a wicked smile.

_‘Sure… Why not?’_ Tony didn’t trust that smile, but his curiosity got the better of him. How bad could it be?

Meanwhile Peter was dealing with a boy who moved far too quickly even for his enhanced eyes. One moment the boy was admiring the back of the Ferrari, the next moment there was a phone in his face. “Hey, name’s Silver. Smile for the school Facebook.”

“Hi!” Peter gave him a shy smile. “Your name is Silver? Cool!”

“Code name is Quicksilver and birth name is Peter, but everyone calls me Silver. I mean, Peter’s lame as hell. What’s your name?” Silver edited the picture on his phone and posted it with a few words in under two seconds. It was Saturday and he was feeling lazy.

“Um... I’m Peter. Peter Parker.”

“Oh...” Silver looked up from his phone.

“Yeah...” Peter scratched the back of his neck.

“It’s okay. We’ll just blame your parents.”

“But they’re dead...”

“Oh...”

“Yeah...” Peter winced. This was such an awkward conversation.

“Well, sorry about that. Welcome to our den! Check out all the other pics on Facebook. It’s gonna make you howl.” Silver found Peter on Facebook and invited him to the school page.

“Thanks, but how do you know if I’ll get in? I haven’t even talked to the professor yet.”

Silver smiled. “Trust me. You’re already in. He never turns down anyone who needs his help.”

That was when the professor called Silver and asked him to take Mr. Stark on a quick ride. All he saw was Silver grinning as he supported the back of Mr. Stark’s neck and when he blinked, Mr. Stark was suddenly bending over with his hands on his knees, looking green in the face. “Mr. Stark!”

“I’m okay…” Tony lifted his head so that he wouldn’t throw up. “It’s all good. I don’t remember a thing, but it must’ve been a hell of a ride.”

Peter was wondering how much distance Silver had covered when he heard May call his name. She and Happy had arrived.

Tony gathered himself up like a champion while Peter and May shared a hug. He went over and introduced Charles to Peter and May before frowning at her face. The woman had aged three years in a week. “What happened to you?” He asked as he and May followed Charles and Peter into the building.

“Peter told me about you-know-who’s activities,” May whispered with a sigh. Then she looked at Tony’s haggard face. “What happened to _you_?”

Tony winced. “I spent a day with your nephew and I just came back from a really wild ride.” He chose not to elaborate and marched on. He knew that May would get a hint when she saw what the other kids could do; Charles was leading everyone into the underground training area where it was safe to try out different powers.

“Okay, everyone.” Charles gathered the students’ attention. “This is Peter Parker and he’s from Queens. He’ll be joining us from now on.”

“Hi, Peter!”

“Hi, everyone!” Peter waved a hand as he realized that Silver had been right. It seemed like he had already been accepted.

“Okay, Peter.” Charles smiled at his newest student. “You’re among friends here. It’s perfectly all right if you don’t want to share your powers with us just yet. But we would be delighted to see what you can do. Would you like to see what _I_ can do first?”

“Yes, please.” Peter nodded eagerly. He had never met a telepath before, let alone such a powerful one.

“What would you like me to do?”

“Um…” Peter thought about all the things that he had read on the professor. “Can you talk to me inside my head? And, can you also freeze me? It doesn’t hurt, right…?”

“I promise it won’t hurt at all.” Charles reassured the kid and sent him a gentle wave of comfort. Then he brushed lightly against Peter’s mind.

Peter held his breath as he felt the professor’s mental presence in his mind. It didn’t feel offensive or intrusive. It just felt like the professor was quietly waiting in the corner for him to acknowledge him. So he tried to think _‘Hello…?’_

_‘Hi, Peter. How does this feel?’_ Charles thought back at him.

“Oh my god, this is freaking awesome!” Peter heard other kids laugh, but seriously, this was a whole new level of amazingness. Then he realized that he couldn’t move. He used all of his Spidey strength to move his right arm, but it didn’t seem to budge an inch. He couldn’t even _see_ his arm since the professor had frozen his face too. _‘Holy moly, how many people can you freeze at once?’_

_‘Hmm, I’ve never tested it, but I froze a whole airport once.’_

“Awesome!!” Peter only realized that his body had been freed and that he had shouted when more laughter came his way.

“Yeah, we got that the first time, kid.” Tony snickered as he signed autographs for the students.

Peter grinned when he heard a little girl ask Mr. Stark who Peter was and the answer she got was “He’s my special boy.” He was over the moon and what better way to celebrate such a day than doing flashy flips? Besides, he had a professor to impress.

“Whoa, look at him!” A boy with spikes all over his skin pointed his finger at Peter.

“Is he a super gymnast?” A girl with pink hair tapped on her chin.

Peter wanted to climb the wall and stick to the ceiling, but that would remind people of Spider-Man way too much. While he hesitated, he felt the professor send him waves of approval and joy. So he jumped over to the huge lump of steel nearby and lifted it in the air with ease. He basked in everyone’s attention and when the applause got louder, he put it down and took a bow.

“I think he’s got the theatrical bone from you,” Charles told Tony who looked very proud.

“What can I say? He’s learning from the master,” Tony answered as he wrapped up with the autographs. Now that Peter had shown his power, it was time to watch everyone else’s. This was always the highlight of his visits.

Tony stood behind Peter who was squeezed between Charles and May behind the safety glass. One by one, anyone who wanted to show their power stepped out to the stage. The show started with Quicksilver jogging slowly enough for people to catch glimpses of him. Then Nightcrawler teleported from one side of the space to the other and back. Banshee screamed, destroying some of Hank’s beakers and Warren flew into the air and threw the daggers on the tip of his metal wings into a wooden board. Jubilee shot colorful globules of plasma energy out of her hands and Cyclops took off his glasses to blast through the huge lump of steel that Peter had lifted earlier.

“Woohoo! Now we’re talking!” Tony clapped his hands with the others and reached forward to close Peter’s mouth shut. Then he watched Kitty run through a wall and Ellie charged up heat and pressure in her body and released an explosion into said wall. Blink created a teleportation vacuum which was his favorite power to watch and Jean lifted all the debris with her power and threw them all in a dumpster. Then Iceman turned the place into an ice rink, showing off some slick dance moves. Tony shuddered as he thought about Peter’s moves and hoped that the kid could learn a thing or two.

Charles looked around to see if there was anyone who would like to perform on ice. Some of the students who had a loving family were absent for the weekend and many students were still shy and wary about their powers. “Oh well, if there’s nobody else, I guess it’s time to skate. Go get your skates, everyone!”

Peter looked at all the students running out and wondered if anyone had an extra pair of skates.

“I do,” Charles answered. “But wouldn’t you like a tour first?”

 

Tony walked with Charles into his office while Storm took Peter, May, and Happy on a tour. He got out of his suit jacket and loosened his tie. He had wanted to look good for Charles, but he only liked ties when they were around his wrists.

_‘Don’t I know it?’_ Charles chuckled as he poured his friend a hot cup of tea.

“Tea? Oh, come on now. One drink’s not gonna hurt. We’re behind closed doors. The kids don’t have to know,” Tony whined with his own brand of puppy eyes.

“I’m a hardened warrior, Anthony. You can’t kill me with those eyes anymore.” Charles smiled and sat at his desk. “Now I have some forms for you to sign.”

Tony took a sip of his tea. At least, Charles had excellent taste in tea like a proper Englishman. “What forms? I thought May signed them all and mailed them to you.”

“She did. But we require two guardians for each student and May wanted you to be the other one,” Charles explained. And, when Tony just blinked his pretty eyes in confusion and worry, he added, “if it makes you feel any better, Erik had to sign them too. Not that Silver’s mother was happy about it.”

Tony huffed. “What’s that prick up to these days?”

“He’s in Haiti, helping with the reconstruction.”

Tony pulled his chair forward and took a good look at Charles’ face. It didn’t look like he was lying.

“I’m not. I told you there was good in him.”

“Yeah, so you insist. Hand me the forms.” Tony made an impatient gesture with his hand. He knew better than to get into an argument with Charles about Magneto.

Pleased that his little trick had worked, Charles gladly presented the forms. He explained what each form was about and pointed at the places that Tony had to sign.

“Just so we’re clear, I know you don’t let your students go out for patrol…” Tony started.

“But I won’t stop Peter,” Charles reassured him as he drank his tea.

“And, he doesn’t want to tell people who he is yet, but it’s only a matter of time before it’s on the news or someone straight off asks him about it. And, he already showed his hand in the training room. Anyone with half a brain could’ve made an educated guess.”

“Don’t worry, love. I will handle it. And, now that he’s one of mine, I can go as far as erasing the memory about him in anyone who has a dangerous mind. If anything shows up on my radar and it doesn’t feel right, I’ll take care of it. You can be sure of that,” Charles promised solemnly. Nothing was more important than the safety of his children.

Tony nodded, feeling much better. If anyone could keep Peter safer than him, it was Charles. Peter wouldn’t need to look over his shoulder in this school and he would be able to focus on his education. He felt Charles send over a light breeze of reassurance and affection. He felt even better now, knowing that Peter would get a lot of those as well.

“You know, there’s so much good in him and his mind is beautifully complex. He has one of the brightest and kindest minds I have ever seen. I’m very glad that he found you.” Charles believed that guardian angels found their charges, not the other way around.

Tony opened his mouth to say that it was him who had found that precious gem, but then he remembered that Peter had walked into his life when he had come to the Stark Expo. He pushed the memory towards Charles and enjoyed his friend beaming like a ray of sunshine.

“That is wonderful! I could tell there was such a strong bond between you two. Oh, that is wonderful indeed. Thank you for sharing it with me.”

Tony felt the wave of happiness pour out of Charles and heard children laugh outside. Charles’ happiness was infectious.

“Anthony, I know it’s been difficult these past few months, but I want you to look after yourself. You did what you could. It’s time for you to start being happy again.” Charles reached out and grabbed Tony’s hand.

Tony shrugged and squeezed Charles’ hand. “I don’t think I know how to...”

“Well, I have this craziest idea that Mr. Parker knows just how to do that.” Charles grinned.

“Pfft, don’t even get me started on that boy. You don’t know what I’ve been through for the past twenty-four hours.” Tony was about to tell on Peter when the door was ripped open.

“Mr. Stark!”

Tony jumped out of his seat at Peter’s voice. It was too high-pitched even for him. By the time he had turned around, he had turned his watch into an Iron Man glove. But all he saw was Peter lying on the floor, laughing into the Persian carpet. The boy had turned into a puddle of giggly goo.

__

_‘He’s all right,’_ Charles answered the unspoken question as he soothed Tony’s mind. _‘He just hasn’t been this happy and carefree before.’_

_‘Carefree? I thought he was worried that bad guys would find out about him.’_

_‘We just had a little chat in his head. He wanted to know what we were talking about. So I told him that he now had my protection as well. He’s a child, Anthony. On good days, that’s all he needs to feel safe.’_

Tony sighed and sat next to the mess. He had never seen Peter like this before, and according to Charles, nobody had ever had. He finally looked like a child of his age, unburdened and protected. It was a good look on him, not that he would ever admit it out loud, and he wanted to do everything in his power to keep him that way.

“Oh my gosh! I’m so sorry, Tony.” May rushed in with Happy and Storm at her heels. “We finished the tour and he just lost it. He yelled something about seeing you and flew past us.”

Tony nodded. “It’s fine. At least, he’s not dancing.” He avoided everyone’s eyes as that wasn’t something that he wished to explain. Instead, he focused on the kid and ran a soothing hand over his back.

Peter started hiccuping, surprised and thrilled at Mr. Stark’s show of affection. “You’re the best, Mr. Stark.” He dared to put his head in Mr. Stark’s lap and kept on hiccuping. The leather seat of that Ferrari had _nothing_ on Mr. Stark’s lap. Besides, there were ten of those Ferraris in the world, but there was only one Tony Stark. And, who was Mr. Stark’s special boy? It was him!

 


	3. Today’s problem: A disgustingly domestic Sunday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter gets to spend a whole day with Mr. Stark, exclusively and uninterrupted. Mr. Stark is the gift that keeps giving and he couldn’t be more thrilled. He has suffered in the past, but life is finally looking up now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1) Plotwise, this is a filler chapter. But I want to write every cute and fluffy scene about Tony and Peter that I can think of, so here it is :D I promise that there will be drama, action, and danger at some point too.
> 
> 2) My workload is pretty heavy these days, so this story will be updated weekly. (In case anyone's wondering, I translate books from English to Korean.)
> 
> 3) Just in case anyone from the X-Men fandom doesn't know, there are two new characters mentioned:  
> \- Ned Leed: Peter's best friend from Queens.  
> \- Harley Keener: A clever boy from Tennessee who helped Tony when he was in distress in the film 'Iron Man 3'.
> 
> 4) I really appreciate all the support, guys! Big hugs and kisses to each and every one of you <333

  
_  
In the previous chapter…_

Peter had gotten his own work station in Mr. Stark’s personal lab as a housewarming gift and had loved checking out his new school. He had gotten to see Professor X’s and some of the other students’ powers and had talked to a boy called Silver.

 

Peter was spreading caviar on his bread at Mr. Stark’s kitchen island, listening to him hum in front of the coffee machine. He grinned as he pushed the piece of bread into his mouth. This was incredible. He was living with Iron Man! He was staying in Mr. Stark’s guest bedroom until May moved in, and there was nobody else but him and Mr. Stark. He could only hope that May would take as much time as she needed.

He was in his huge ‘I survived my trip to NYC’ T-shirt and Hello Kitty pajamas. They were the clothes that Mr. Stark had fetched him when he had temporarily confiscated his Spider-Man suit. While they held a sad memory, they were actually really comfy and now he wore them to bed. Mr. Stark was wearing monogrammed dark-blue silk pajamas, looking like the God of PJs. Mr. Stark had monogrammed _everything_ , ranging from towels and plates to coasters and silverware. And, he kindly let him use all of them! He even got an awesome Tony Stark cap. It was navy and felt like it belonged on his head.

He had decided to stay with Mr. Stark instead of going back to Queens this weekend. It was the only weekend that he could dominate Mr. Stark’s time while hanging out at his place, and he would be a fool to miss it. Sunday morning had just begun, but it already felt like a good decision; the symphony of Mr. Stark’s humming and the soft purr of the coffee machine soothed his heightened senses.

“I want you to take a look at something.” Tony turned around with a big mug full of black coffee and a bigger glass of strawberry milk.

“What is it?” Peter wondered if it was a science project as he snatched the glass of milk with superhuman speed. It was liberating to use his powers outside the suit without having to worry about witnesses.

Tony pulled up a webpage on his Stark pad and handed it to Peter. “Which one do you think works for both you and me?”

“What is all this?” Peter took a quick look at the samples. “Are you getting… curtains?”

“That’s right. For my bedroom.” Tony sat down opposite Peter.

“But _why_?” Peter didn’t think that he had entirely managed to keep the whine out of his voice. He loved starting his day by getting a good climb outside and admiring his hero in his most relaxed state.

“You know why. I see a giant spider outside my window every morning.” Tony dug into his lobster sandwich. This morning, the kid hadn’t even put on the whole suit and had been hanging outside in his sleepwear and his mask. It had been terrifying.

“But you like that spider, right? You care about him.” Peter knew that he was going off topic and that he was being childish and a little bit greedy, but who wouldn’t want more of Mr. Stark’s affection?

“I don’t know what could’ve possibly given you that impression.” Tony threw a few vitamins into his mouth.

“How about the 576 possible web shooter combinations you put in my suit?”

Tony shrugged. “I was just having fun with my imagination.”

“Then how about you remembering that I quit the school band six months ago and that I like churro?”

“I’m a genius, remember?” Tony tapped his left temple. “I can’t help it if I remember things.”

“Then how about you calling me your _special_ boy?”

Tony raised an eyebrow as he took a sip of coffee.

“Yesterday, down in the school training room. You were talking to a little girl. How about that one, huh?” Peter grinned. There was no way that Mr. Stark was going to win this.

“You heard that?” Tony was a little surprised. He had figured that Peter had been busy handling all the attention.

“Spidey ears, Mr. Stark.” Peter tapped his left ear, imitating Mr. Stark’s gesture.

“All right, all right. You made your point.” Tony huffed playfully and pointed at the pad. “I obviously like you enough to ask your opinion on this.”

Peter drank a bit of milk and cocked his head. “Um… I’m happy to help, Mr. Stark, but they’re _your_ curtains. Why do you want my opinion?”

“Because something tells me that my curtains aren’t going to affect your morning routine. Might as well get something you’d like to see from the other side.” Tony slid the salad bowl closer to Peter. “Usually curtains only have patterns on one side, but they said they could do both sides too.”

Peter beamed. Mr. Stark always had the best ideas. But of course! His suit had thermal vision; it could detect heat signatures. It wouldn’t be the same as watching Mr. Stark without any curtains, but he wasn’t trying to be creepy. He realized that he mostly wanted to check if Mr. Stark had survived the night. As ridiculous as it might sound, after what had happened to Uncle Ben, he didn’t trust the moon and the stars to look after his loved ones anymore.

Every morning, he naturally picked up on May’s heartbeat. He needed to hear it to start the day. It was even better if he could also see her through the crack of the door. But May wasn’t here and he was soon going to live under Mr. Stark. The walls and ceilings were much thicker than the building that he used to live in, so yes, he was going to keep climbing the building in the morning and get his fix.

Tony flicked his fingers in front of Peter’s face. “Kid, you’re with me? I can’t show you the new, pre-release Iron Man merch if you don’t finish your veggies.”

Peter looked scandalized. “But this is like a whole bowl!”

“So? You’re a fifteen year old superhuman. You’re not getting out of this one. Now eat.” Tony pushed the bowl again.

Peter moved his fork around in the bowl with a frown. He could handle other veggies, but what was the deal with kale and celery? “You know, Mr. Stark, I already have more than enough Iron Man merch that I can handle. You saw it all when you helped me unpack.”

Tony sighed. Too bad that he couldn’t put everything in a blender and inject it into the kid. “How about some Tony Stark memorabilia then? A pair of my shades perhaps?”

Peter perked up. “A pair that you actually wore?”

“Sure. But you also have to pick out the curtains for me. Do we have a deal?” Tony held out his hand and Peter shook it firmly before diving into the salad bowl. He was clearly the one who got the better end of the deal.

 

With a big breakfast sitting in his stomach, Peter got changed and followed his mentor into his walk-in closet. He couldn’t try on Mr. Stark’s sunglasses wearing pajamas. That would be sacrilege.

“FRIDAY, bring out my sunglass collection,” Tony ordered.

FRIDAY: “Right away, sir.”

Tony took a seat on the small couch and crossed his legs. He was still in his pajamas and Hello Kitty slippers. Sundays were pajama days.

“Whoa!” Peter’s jaw dropped as one side of the wall transformed into sleek showcases that contained rows of designer sunglasses. “These look so cool! And, there are so many! Which ones are your least favorites?”

“The ones inside the lower cases. FRIDAY arranges them once a month, based on how often I wear them and how new they are,” Tony explained casually as if that was how everyone arranged their sunglasses. “But you can pick any pair you like. Don’t hesitate to go for the ones in the top.”

Peter rubbed his hands, feeling giddy with joy. He pulled out a few pairs from the lower case and tried them on. “Ah, they’re all a little too big for me.”

“No need for the sad puppy face. I can fit them for you.” Tony got up and took a good look at the glasses that Peter was wearing. “Yeah, I could just bend the legs a bit. And, once you’ve chosen a pair, we’re going to use this machine to check if the lens blocks out enough UV rays.” He pulled a drawer out of the wall to show Peter what he was talking about.

Peter blinked. “Don’t they all?”

“Nuh-uh. These lenses have a rather limited life expectancy. If you put them on for 2 hours each day, they can last about 2 years. But after that, the block rate drops below 70 percent.”

“Ooh, I didn’t know that.” Peter looked at the machine with bright eyes. “Did you make this, Mr. Stark?”

Tony laughed. “Contrary to popular belief, I do not make all of my own machines. Of course I could’ve, but it was easier to buy one. I did run a couple of tests to verify its accuracy though.”

Peter grinned; he had found a pair that worked for him. He checked himself in the mirror one last time. He couldn’t wait to tell Ned all about it. He had been on the phone with Ned for a whole hour yesterday, but he already had new things to tell him. “Can I ask when you got these?”

Tony peered at them for a moment. “Ah, I believe these belong to the Tom Ford fall collection from last year. Tom’s in love with me, so he sends over new items every season. FRIDAY, am I correct?”

FRIDAY: “You are correct, sir.”

“And, you wore these to…?” Peter prompted.

“FRIDAY? A rough history for the fan?” Tony asked.

FRIDAY: “Mr. Stark wore those sunglasses to two U.N. energy summits, a conference at the World Meteorological Organization, and a speech at M.I.T.”

“Thanks, FRI.” Tony clapped Peter on the shoulder and let him use the UV machine. It was a simple one, but it was rewarding to see the effect that it had on Peter. He might not be a telepath, but he could sense waves of excitement and curiosity rolling off the kid as he tried out a machine that he had never seen before.

After a couple of tests, Peter beamed and gave the verdict. “95 percent!” Then he put on a more serious face. “Are you sure I can keep these, Mr. Stark? I mean, they look expensive and…”

“Hush now. They look better on you. Only slightly though.” Tony ruffled Peter’s hair. “Now let’s get them fitted.”

“Can we do that in the main lab?” Peter asked with a sheepish look on his face.

“What for?” Tony gave him a suspicious look. “It’s a quick and easy job.”

“I just want to see Dum-E,” Peter admitted. “Or does he take a break on weekends?”

Tony’s look only got more suspicious. “Do you have a crush on my bot, Mr. Parker? You’ve only met him once.”

“What? No! I’m sure he’s nice but…”

Tony made a soothing gesture with his hand. “I can understand. It’s the 21st century! There’s a term for that. Robosexual, I believe. And, I’ve been told that some people are strangely attracted to incompetence.”

“Don’t tease me, Mr. Stark! I just think he’s cool.” Peter didn’t think that he particularly wanted to cuddle with Dum-E. Wouldn’t he be cold and… pointy?

“Well, let’s call him here then, shall we?” Tony left the walk-in closet and headed to his mini lab with Peter following close by.

“We can do that? Sweet! I thought he always stayed in the main lab!” Peter jumped on a wall and climbed to the ceiling. He had to move around to handle the surge of delight coursing through his body. It seemed like every new hour with Mr. Stark somehow turned out to be better than the last one. He smiled down when Mr. Stark looked up with a fond look of exasperation. He had to try hard not to throw himself on Mr. Stark’s back and giggle like an overgrown boy.

“FRIDAY, get Dum-E in here, will you?” Tony ordered as he walked into the lab. “And, tell him to hurry. We don’t have all day.”

FRIDAY: “Noted, sir.”

Tony sat down at his work station, but Peter stayed on the ceiling. “Mr. Stark, can I go and make sure he gets here safe?”

Tony looked up. “Being a gentleman, huh? Looking out for your crush? Can you come down already? My poor neck is suffering.”

Peter nailed the superhero landing pose and moved behind Mr. Stark. Then he started a gentle but effective neck and shoulder massage. Mr. Stark seemed to be surprised, but he got this. He had done it many times for his aunt and the feedback had always been splendid.

“Where did you learn to do that?” Tony sighed in relief. It felt like his muscles were being rearranged.

“From Martha. She’s a woman I helped a couple of months ago,” Peter explained as he worked on a particularly stubborn knot near the right shoulder blade. “She was running because she was late for an interview, and it was a really hot day. So I swung down and scooped her up. Thank god she didn’t get motion sickness.” He chuckled. “Anyway, she turned out to be a masseuse and gave me some free lessons.”

“Why did you want those lessons in the first place?” Tony found it unusual that a teenage boy wanted to acquire massage skills, not that he was complaining.

“To help Aunt May, of course! She works in an office, so she’s typing things all the time. Not so good for her shoulders.” Peter smiled at the good memories with May and his smile grew wider when he defeated the knot. It was great that he could help Mr. Stark for once.

Tony felt his chest swell with pride. The kid was too good to be true. He remembered how Charles had mentioned yesterday that Peter’s mind was one of the kindest minds that he had ever seen. Given all the minds that Charles must’ve seen, that was certainly saying something.

_Beep._

Both of them looked up in surprise when the door to the lab opened and Dum-E rolled in. They had completely forgotten about him.

“You could always walk him back later,” Tony suggested when he saw that Peter’s face had fallen. Then he pointed an accusing finger at the robot to take the kid’s mind off the disappointment. “I told you to hurry, Dum-E. What took you so long?”

“Leave him alone, Mr. Stark. I think that was pretty fast.” Peter walked up to Dum-E for a handshake.

“Standing up for your boyfriend! That’s a good quality.” Tony grinned, eyes full of mischief.

Peter covered with his hands where he thought Dum-E’s ears might be. “He’s not my boyfriend! I’m a nerd, but not _that_ much.”

“You wear seriously nerdy science T-shirts, kid,” Tony pointed out. “By the way, if you have new designs for those T-shirts, let me know. We have a printer for that sort of thing in the Avengers merch department.”

“You do?” Peter brightened up. “Can I make some for Ned too?”

“Sure. Now get your ass back here and try these on.” Tony pointed at the sunglasses.

While Tony worked on the glasses, Peter worked on inventing a secret handshake with Dum-E. Tony snickered as he listened to Peter patiently explain why they were going to do it. Unfortunately, Dum-E didn’t seem to see the point in a complicated handshake. It looked like an older brother teaching a clueless younger one a cool trick. Peter even tried to get some input on the handshake, but he got nothing out of the confused robot. So he just made one by himself and taught it to him. With the glasses fitted and polished, Tony watched as the two tried out their new handshake a couple of times.

“Yes! He got it, Mr. Stark!” Peter pumped his fist in the air. Then he smiled at the robot. “So when we see each other from now on, we’re going to do this secret handshake, okay?”

Dum-E finally beeped, making Peter happy.

Then the three played a game where Dum-E threw blueberries in the air while Tony and Peter rolled around in their chairs to catch them in their mouths. They both considered it a serious sport, so trash talk was mandatory.

“I have one word for you, Mr. Stark. Superhuman.” Peter spun around in his chair this way and that, showing off his perfect control.

“Kid, I’ll have you know that I got second place when we played this game back at the tower.” Tony puffed out his chest. “I even beat a very muscular god.”

“Who got first place? And, who threw the berries?” Peter usually didn’t dare to ask about the other Avengers, but he’d love to hear any stories about them.

“Well, Nat got first place. No surprise there. We all know that the woman is a ninja. And, it was Steve who threw the berries.” Tony chuckled at the memory. “He winced every time a berry hit the floor. I wouldn’t be surprised if he interrupted Dum-E’s cleaning later and washed them and ate them all.”

Peter giggled. That sounded like something that Captain America might do.

“Oh boy, you should’ve seen Thor rolling around in a chair that was way too small for him. He collided with Clint at some point and Clint went flying out of his chair! And, Steve had to throw Bruce a berry every two minutes so he wouldn’t turn green! Ahahaha…” Tony was nearly wheezing with laughter, remembering how stupid they had all looked. God, they were such dorks.

Peter smiled as he watched Mr. Stark’s face light up. The Avengers must be like a family to him. He wished that the missing ones would come back, apologize for how they had treated Mr. Stark, and never break his heart again. He hadn’t been able to be there for Mr. Stark when everything had gone down, but he was here now. And, nobody was ever going to hurt Mr. Stark again.

The game started with Tony scoring a few early points and Peter groaning in frustration. It went on with lots of laughter from the two and many disapproving beeps from Dum-E. Tony cheated a couple of times and caught the berries with his hands while Peter stood on the chair to get to the berries first.

“Got it!” Peter chewed the last berry as he anxiously waited for Dum-E to announce the winner. And, when the robot finally pointed at him after taking his sweet time, he gave Mr. Stark a shit-eating grin.

“Pfft, he’s probably malfunctioning.” Tony glared at the robot. “I really should’ve donated him to a city college.”

“Nobody likes a sore loser, Mr. Stark.” Peter laughed. “Can I really walk him back? Do you think you’ll be okay without me? Not too frightened in broad daylight?”

“I honestly don’t know if I’m gonna make it, but I’ll try to hang on for ten long minutes.” Tony clutched his chest dramatically.

Peter carefully patted Mr. Stark on the shoulder and put on his new sunglasses. Then he ran out to the hallway, following the robot. He liked Dum-E. Mr. Stark had built him while he had been studying in M.I.T. He had only been his age, yet he had even won a prize for him! But the real reason why Dum-E deserved all the love was because he had saved Mr. Stark’s life. He had gotten Mr. Stark the arc reactor in time that had been out of his reach. (He had gotten that tale out of Happy.) But when The Mandarin had attacked Mr. Stark’s mansion, he had been destroyed with the other robot, U. Thankfully, they had both been repaired.

Peter was telling Dum-E how nice it was to hang out with him when the robot came to a stop. He peered over Dum-E’s shoulder to see what was going on. There was a crumpled piece of paper next to the robot. He waited with bated breath, wondering what Dum-E was going to do. Just like he had hoped for, the robot picked up the paper and rolled over to the waste basket. “Aww! Good job, buddy!”

Tony shook his head fondly as he watched Peter share a high five with the robot. He wasn’t spying on them like FRIDAY had implied. He was just checking if the cameras in the hallway were working properly. As Peter slung an arm around Dum-E, Tony wondered if the kid could use a sibling. He thought about how Charles had brightened his childhood. Perhaps Peter could enjoy such benefits too. He pulled out his phone and sent Harley a text. It had been a while since he had seen the boy. “Say, FRIDAY, what do you think about Peter and Harley inheriting Stark Industries? Let’s say… in a dozen years?”

FRIDAY: “I think that’s an excellent idea, Sir.”

“Yeah?” Tony smiled. “They’d get along like brothers, right? They have so much in common.”

FRIDAY: “Oh, yes. I’m quite sure of it, sir. Would you like me to run a compatibility test?”

“Nah, no need for that. It’s going to be picture-perfect.”

Harley: _Iron Dad :D Hi! Missed me much?_

Tony snorted and answered the text, feeling a bit like Willy Wonka. But he clearly had better hair and a better smile than Johnny Depp, and his protégés were going to do more than mass-produce chocolate. They were going to save the world.

 


	4. Today’s problem: Turning into a father hen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony finds it hard to stay calm when he has to send Peter into a new environment. He knows that it's ridiculous and that he's overreacting, but he can't help it. Meanwhile, Peter has a great time, making new friends and enjoying the whole experience.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1) Surprisingly, I didn't invent any of the information about the character 'Doop'. It really seems to have all those amazing powers and characteristics. And, if some are wrong, let's blame Google :)
> 
> 2) A few new characters that are mentioned in this chapter without much explanation:  
> \- Raven Darkholme: Her code name is Mystique and she can change her appearance and voice into someone else's. Charles thinks of her as his younger sister, but she left with Erik and joined the Brotherhood.  
> \- Pepper Potts: Tony's secretary who has a lot of patience and respect for her boss. In this story, they were once involved in a romantic relationship, but they have ended it amicably.

  
_  
In the previous chapter…_

Peter had spent the best Sunday ever with Mr. Stark. He now had a pair of Mr. Stark’s sunglasses and a secret handshake with Dum-E. Everything was exciting and he was ready to make friends at the new school.

 

“Good morning, Happy!”

Happy jumped in the driver’s seat and wiped the drool from the corner of his mouth. He had only closed his eyes for three seconds, so when had he dozed off? “Good morning, kid.” He stretched and yawned as Peter jumped into the backseat. “Ready for school?”

“Yes!” Peter beamed and fastened his seatbelt. He had gotten up early, unable to contain his excitement. “Let’s go, Happy! We don’t have all day!”

“One weekend with the boss and you already sound like him,” Happy grumbled.

“I do?” Peter asked dreamily.

Happy didn’t bother with a response and started the car. Peter had wanted to leave at an ungodly hour to be absolutely sure that he wouldn’t be late on his first day. He activated the auto-driving A.I. just in case. It wasn’t safe to sit behind the wheel when you were yawning every two minutes.

“So what do you learn in that mutant school? Tell me,” Happy asked. He needed Peter’s endless chirping to stay awake.

“You want to know?” Peter pounced on this rare chance. He opened his backpack and pulled out the timetable from a clear folder. “Well, they basically teach the same stuff for most of the day, but there’s a _special_ class every day. Look!” He thrust the timetable into Happy’s hands. He had never been so mesmerized by a school timetable.

Happy read the special lessons out loud, “self-defense exercise, basic medical care, civilian evacuation strategy, observation training, and yoga and meditation? Huh, it almost sounds like a military school except for yoga.”

“Yeah, I’m not sure how I feel about yoga, but all the others are going to help me become an Avenger!” Peter pulled out a banana and chomped it down. “And, check out the list for after-school activities on the back!”

Happy turned the sheet of paper. “Have you chosen anything yet?”

“Yeah, the swimming club and the science club. Swimming for the body and science for the mind. Perfect, right?” Peter moved onto an apple.

“You know, I used to be in the boxing club in high school. I wasn’t just the school champion. I was also the state champion,” Happy bragged with a nostalgic smile on his face.

“No way!”

“Yes way. But Tony never appreciates the master’s boxing lessons,” Happy said in an exaggerated deep voice that made Peter giggle. “And, he fights dirty, I’m telling you.”

“Mr. Hogan,” Tony’s voice boomed from the speakers. “How many times do I have to tell you that’s mixed martial arts?”

“Tony! You scared the crap out of me! You’ve seen my cardiogram!” Happy put a hand to his heart.

“Watch your language in front of the kid.”

“Fine. But why can’t you call like a normal person?” Happy protested.

“And, what fun would that be?” Tony snickered before speaking in a gentle voice, “Hi, Peter. Do you have everything? If you forgot something, I can always send out a drone.”

“Hi, Mr. Stark!” Peter grinned. “I think I have everything, thank you.”

“Okay, if you need anything, call me at any time. I’ll pick up on the first ring.”

“Tony, he’s fifteen, not five,” Happy pointed out. “I’m not driving him to a kindergarten.”

“I know that,” Tony said petulantly. “And, you’re not driving. I can tell. The car is driving itself.”

Happy laughed. No matter how much Tony was trying to cover it, he sounded so nervous. He might be able to fool the kid, but he surely wasn’t fooling him. “Just get on with your day, boss. I’ve got this. If it makes you feel any better, I can stick around the school all day and drive him back later. Some kids might want boxing lessons and I could do a security check for them.”

“You’d do that? Great! Thanks, Happy. And, good luck, Peter.”

“I’ll see you later, Mr. Stark!”

Tony ended the call and sighed. This was ridiculous. Peter dealt with bad guys all the time. He had even managed to fight off the Vulture in his home-made suit, for Christ’s sake. So why was he worried sick when the kid was just going to school? And, wasn’t Charles’ school practically the safest school on Earth? He paced around his bedroom, fiddling with his tie and figured out the answer. He could protect Peter when he was wearing the Spider-Man suit, but he was helpless when Peter wasn’t in it.

Tony groaned. What if some rude kid with dangerous powers hurt Peter? Couldn’t he just stay in the suit all the time when he was outside? Why couldn’t he wear it under his clothes? What if some senseless kid picked on him because he wasn’t a born mutant? Like Hermione getting hate for being a muggleborn? Peter didn’t even have a mean face, let alone a death glare. And, what if he panicked when his new friends found out that he was Spider-Man? Peter had said that he was ready to handle it within the safe boundaries of the school, but who knew if he was just trying to be tough?

_‘Anthony, you’re giving me a headache from all the way there. And, you know that I turn off powers that are dangerous and uncontrollable,’_ Charles whispered in Tony’s head. _‘Do you doubt my powers?’_

_‘Of course not.’_ Tony shook his head. He had seen with his own eyes all the things that Charles could do.

_‘You’re welcome to try homeschooling, but we both know that this would be a valuable experience for Peter.’_ Charles sent over a warm bundle of comfort and relief.

_‘Urgh, I hate it when you’re right.’_ Tony pouted and heard Charles laugh.

_‘That sucks for you then since I very often am.’_

_‘Goodbye, Charles.’_ Tony pointedly pushed his friend out of his head and gave up on his tie. He freaking owned the company; if he didn’t want to wear a tie, he had the luxury not to.

 

Peter got out of the car and looked around. The school was quiet. Just like Happy had predicted, they had arrived too early. Happy wanted to check his e-mails in the car, so he left him alone and breathed in the fresh air. The school was at the edge of a small forest and the air felt different from Queens. It had only been a few days since he had left Queens, but he already missed it. He couldn’t wait for the weekend so he could patrol in his favorite neighborhood again. It sucked that Queens was too far for him to visit on schooldays, but it was a relief that he hadn’t moved even farther away. Hmm, perhaps he could patrol Westchester on weekdays. As far as he knew, X-Men were like the CIA of the superhero world, mostly dealing with international issues. He doubted that many of them stayed in the country, let alone conducted daily patrols.

Peter was walking towards the main building when he spotted a blue boy sitting on a bench. If he remembered correctly, that was the boy who could teleport himself. He was holding a sketchbook with one hand, a pencil with the other, and a cup of tea with his tail. He seemed to have three fingers on each hand and three toes on each foot. Didn’t his feet get cold? Or was his skin thick enough? Even Hobbits had hair on their feet, but this boy didn’t seem to have any. That was when the boy looked up.

“Oh, sorry! I didn’t mean to stare.” Peter gave him a small smile.

“It’s okay. It’s very useful, you see.” Kurt put down the teacup on the tray with his tail and scratched his head with it. Then he shot his tail out to the ground and picked up a fallen leaf and used it as a fan.

“Haha! That’s awesome! It does look very useful. Is it fully grown? Or do you think it’s going to get longer and thicker?” Peter cringed at his own words. It sounded like he was asking about someone’s penis and perhaps it was rude to ask such a personal question when they had just met. But thankfully, Kurt nodded with a big smile on his face.

“Yes, I think it’s going to be bigger. My dad’s tail is really long and thick.”

Peter noticed the thick accent. The school brochure had mentioned that they had students from all over the world. “Can I ask where you’re from?”

“Of course. I’m from Germany.”

“Germany!” Peter was thrilled. That happened to be the only country that he had ever visited. “I’ve been to Germany before! How exciting!”

“Yes? For how long?” Kurt’s smile got wider.

“Oh, only for two days…” Peter smiled sheepishly.

Kurt giggled and held out his hand. “Peter, right?”

“Yes! I’m Peter Parker.” Peter shook the boy’s hand with a smile. It was great that someone had remembered his name. “I’m sorry I didn’t catch your name though.”

“I’m Kurt. Kurt Wagner.”

“Nice to meet you, Kurt! Mind if I join you?”

Kurt gestured for Peter to sit down next to him and handed him the other teacup with his tail. He always came out with two teacups since someone was going to join him sooner or later.

“Thanks, man. What were you drawing?” Peter enjoyed the sweet and deep scent of the tea. Ever since his senses had gotten heightened, he had become a tea person.

“Squirrels!” Kurt showed his sketch with a goofy smile.

“Wow, really nice work there. And, yeah, I’ve been wondering about the squirrels. I didn’t see any on Saturday, but today they’re everywhere.” Peter gasped as a curious squirrel climbed up his leg.

“That’s because Doreen is back from home.” Kurt held up a huge blue finger to make his point. “You like tails? You will like hers. She’s the Squirrel Girl. Her tail is big and bushy like a squirrel’s tail.”

“Really?” Peter wondered how many new students he would get to see today. Many of them had been absent on Saturday.

“Do you have a code name?” Kurt asked. He was interested in other people’s code names. It had taken him a while to find one that he liked. “Mine is ‘Nightcrawler’.”

“Geez, dude. That’s super awesome.” Peter tried not to think about how ‘Nightcrawler’ sounded infinitely cooler than ‘Spider-Man’. He hadn’t thought much about his code name, to be honest. He had just wanted it to sound similar to ‘Iron Man’. “Um…”

“Is it ‘Super Gymnast’ like the others said?”

“Uh, no. I just haven’t come up with one yet,” Peter answered as he patted a squirrel on its head. This was such a Disney moment and he loved it.

“Ah, that’s okay. Take your time.” Kurt gave him a sympathetic smile. “But you did look like a super gymnast. I’m pretty flexible too, you see. I can also stick to walls.”

“You can do that?” Peter wanted to tell Kurt that he could stick to walls too. He had gotten so used to hiding his powers at school that he had never thought that he could use them to make friends. He could see himself becoming great friends with Kurt. They had so much in common!

“The squirrels like you.” Kurt chuckled as he drew a quick sketch of a fat squirrel dozing off in Peter’s lap.

“Maybe they know I’m the new face?” Peter looked down at the squirrel. He hadn’t even entered the building yet, but surreal things were already happening.

“Not just a new face. A cute face. That’s what Kitty said.” Kurt giggled at Peter’s blush.

“Who’s Kitty?”

 

Kitty studied the new boy over her math textbook. It wasn’t the best cover, but it would have to do. The class was about to start, so she didn’t have time to phase into the nearest wall with only her face sticking out. To her left, Comrade Jubilee was doing the same thing. They were trying to figure out if Peter Parker was indeed Spider-Man. They were huge fans of Spider-Man and loved seeing him in action through all those Youtube videos.

Breaking up with Bobby had been difficult. Seeing him go back to Rogue had been even more difficult. With lots of time on her hands and a broken heart in her chest, she had been wandering around on Youtube until she had run into one of the Spider-Man videos. She loved how eager Spider-Man seemed to be while he helped people. It looked like he was having a good time instead of feeling burdened and obligated. Spider-Man also looked humble and easy going. She hadn’t been able to find a single thing about him that wasn’t to love. She had showed those videos to Jubilee and one thing had led to another. Now they had quite a number of comrades, so she had been thinking about starting a fan club. In fact, now would be the perfect timing if Spider-Man was actually attending their school.

Why did she think that Peter was Spider-Man? First, the boy had showed up with Tony Stark. Iron Man had come to Spider-Man’s rescue when the ferry had been sinking. Then Professor Xavier had told them that Peter had come from Queens, which was Spider-Man’s hunting ground. Besides, Spider-Man had been strangely absent in Queens over the weekend. And, as if that wasn’t enough evidence, the boy had done flips, which seemed like something that Spider-Man liked to do. She had discussed the matter with other comrades and yes, there was a very good chance that Peter Parker was Spider-Man.

But if he was Spider-Man, why hadn’t he said anything? The school was a safe place to come out and he hadn’t appeared to be shy around his powers. That code name would’ve earned him many new friends in an instant. That was why Jubilee had thought that perhaps Peter’s older brother was Spider-Man. Like Alex and Scott, some brothers were known to have similar powers. Besides, Peter hadn’t climbed any walls last Saturday. Perhaps he didn’t know how to? Wasn’t that a cooler trick than doing a few flips?

“I do think he’s got the right height and build,” Jubilee whispered as the teacher walked in.

“But that doesn’t mean anything,” Kitty whispered back. “His brother could be only a year older or they could even be twins. Similar height and build.”

“Do twins also have twin butts? I think I’ve stared at Spidey’s butt long enough to recognize it anywhere. Urgh, why is Peter wearing baggy clothes and so many layers? Even if he stands up, I wouldn’t be able to tell.” Jubilee sighed as she lowered her textbook.

“I don’t think they’re twins. Check out his ears. They stick out so much. Spidey’s ears are a bit like that too, but not _that_ much,” Kitty pointed out. She was starting to see the point of all that observation training.

“I wish Jean would break her moral code just once and take a quick peek into his mind,” Jubilee whined as she copied whatever the teacher was writing on the board. “It’s not like we can ask Peter. That would be rude.”

“Well, he walked in with Kurt. Let’s see if we can get something out of him later.” Kitty decided to drop it for now and picked up her pen. They were girls who were serious about education and a cute boy wasn’t going to change that.

Meanwhile, Peter was solving math problems in his notebook when he felt a mental knock on his mind. _‘Professor?’_

_‘Oh… No, this is Jean Grey. I’m in your class. I’m very sorry about this, but anything else would’ve looked suspicious.’_

_‘Suspicious?’_ Peter frowned. _‘To whom?’_

_‘To Kitty.’_

Peter sighed. _‘Seriously, who is this Kitty? I asked Kurt, but he just gave me an odd smile.’_

_‘If you must know, she’s the girl who is about to lead a small fan club of your… alter ego. Anyway, if you want your connection with your alter ego to be a bit less obvious, try taping your ears back. That’s what I wanted to say. Again, sorry about this.’_

_‘Excuse me?’_ Peter thought back, but it felt like the girl had already left. Wow, major shade! And, they hadn’t even met yet! But she had tried to warn him, so he supposed that he could forgive her. But how did she know that he was Spider-Man? Was it written on the surface of his mind? And, what was that about a possible fan club? He really had fans here? Mr. Stark had thought so and apparently he was right.

Speaking of Mr. Stark, he was so unbelievably extra. It wasn’t like he hadn’t known that, but Mr. Stark had outdone himself this time. First, he had bought him a new pencil case filled with high-quality pens. He had really appreciated the gesture and that was all he had wanted to accept. But Mr. Stark had somehow talked him into a new backpack, notebooks, sneakers, and earphones as well. And, he had also gone behind his back to buy him a new desktop and a laptop! He had so many new things all of a sudden that he had to memorize them to remember that they belonged to him. He had said so as a joke, but Mr. Stark had taken it completely seriously and had monogrammed everything himself. It was just sad that P.P didn’t look or sound as awesome as T.S; P.P sounded rather like pee-pee.

“Did everyone get the answer for No.12?” The teacher asked, pulling Peter back into reality.

Peter nodded along with most of the students and moved onto problem No. 13. Mr. Stark hadn’t given him all these pens for nothing.

 

“Psst, Jean!”

Jean pretended that she hadn’t heard Silver and walked faster to her next class. She obviously couldn’t outrun him, but she could definitely show him her reluctance. She already had a good idea what he was going to ask. A few of her friends had thought very strongly in her direction about the true identity of a superhero. It had happened throughout the weekend and now that Peter was back, she had been forced to put up her walls this morning.

“Hey, Jean! Wait up! I just need a quick fact check.” Silver put a hand behind her neck and jogged with her to his own class. He had physics with Peter in his next period. He pointed at the window that looked into the classroom. “The new kid over there. He’s _way_ too happy for a new kid. Can you check if he’s a moron?”

“Silver!” Jean looked horrified. “What did Professor tell us about using politically correct words?”

“Pfft, fine. Is he mentally retarded?”

Jean rolled her eyes. “You mean, developmentally challenged?”

“Well, is he? Otherwise, why is he always smiling like a maniac? He was awfully smiley on Saturday too. Teenagers are supposed to be moody. He’s messing with the tradition.”

“You mean, stereotype. And, perhaps he just likes learning, unlike someone.” Jean gave him a pointed look. “Huh, his mind is very complex actually.” She noticed how intricate Peter’s mind was even when she wasn’t actively skimming its surface.

“To the point that he has to grin it out?” Silver grumbled.

Jean laughed. Nobody was more interested in new students than Silver. That was why he was in charge of the ‘Meet our newbie!’ section of their school Facebook page. But wait a second. Hadn’t Silver talked to Peter on Saturday himself? So why was he asking her to look into his mind? She quickly dipped into Silver’s mind right before he got wind of her plan. He ran away at full speed and left her range, but she had managed to gather enough clues.

Oh, boy. Silver wasn’t interested whether Peter was Spider-Man or not. He had wondered why Peter’s voice had sounded a bit familiar, but he mostly wanted to know if he had left a good impression on Saturday. He was curious about what Peter had thought of him. “Ahahaha…”

The school bell rang and she heard Silver’s voice in her head as she walked back to her class. _‘Don’t you dare, Grey!’_

Jean gave him a flick to the mind and made sure that he heard how hard she was laughing inside. The boy who was ‘too cool for everyone else’ had a crush on someone like a regular high-school boy. She couldn’t wait to tell Scott over lunch and see how things played out. It was going to be an interesting semester.

 

‘Oh, yum!’ Peter smiled as he dug into his pork cutlet. The food at the cafeteria was fantastic. He hadn’t even known that pork cutlets could be this tasty. He had been told that the school chef, Emery, was a fry cook who could literally cook all day thanks to his superhuman stamina. It was still hard to believe that he was surrounded by people who were just like him. There were some human teachers and his powers felt pretty lame compared to the others’, but he was glad to be a part of this world. Nobody blinked an eye at Warren stretching out his wings or Doreen talking to squirrels between periods. He could only hope that he would get used to such incredible sights at some point and stop gawking and grinning like a lunatic.

At the moment, he was sitting between Kurt and Silver while listening to Jubilee. She was telling him this crazy story about the green creature called Doop that floated around in the gardens. To her right sat the girl in question, Kitty. But despite the warnings, she hadn’t said much since they had introduced themselves. Perhaps she was feeling under the weather? Her cheeks looked pretty flushed.

“What? Come again?” Peter had to ask. He was sure that he had heard her wrong.

“He can manipulate a bit of time and space,” Jubilee explained as she twisted the fork around her spaghetti.

“Yeah, I got that part. But the next part… He swallowed Thor’s Mjolnir?”

“Nah,” Silver cut in so that Jubilee could take a few bites. “He sucked it into his mouth and made duplicates.”

“Duplicates? Of the hammer? In his _mouth_?” Peter looked out the window that looked over the side gardens, checking that Doop wasn’t within earshot.

“Yeah.” Silver nodded as he reached for another piece of French fries. “He replicated the Mjolnir in his mouth and spat out a few extra hammers. And, you know what? He also keeps his camera equipment in there.”

“What?!” Peter didn’t mean to question everything that was being told, but he couldn’t help it. “No way! You’re totally making that up!”

“I’m not! Tell him, guys!” Silver took a huge bite of his burger.

“He’s not,” Kitty ventured despite her sudden shyness as she took a sip of her orange juice. “He has an extra-dimensional void inside him where he stores things.”

“Like a personal storage space?” Peter was getting more and more confused.

“Yes,” Kitty answered with a glint in her eyes. This was her favorite part of the story. “He also has a back-up brain that buys him some time until his original one is pieced back together after exploding.”

“What…? And, he keeps that extra brain in that void?”

“No, the brain’s in his ass.” Kitty laughed. Peter had a cute dumb face.

Peter blinked. He wondered if they were all messing with him. Perhaps this was their weird version of an initiation ceremony.

“It’s true!” Kurt added as he drank his milkshake. “At least that’s what we heard.”

“Aha! So this is all hearsay. You haven’t actually seen any of this.” Peter immediately got suspicious.

“We did see him pull his camera and tripod out of his mouth,” Jubilee got back into the conversation. “It’s not like he can wear a camera strap around his neck. He doesn’t have a neck.”

“Okay… Then what do those bulbous things on his head do?” Peter watched through the window as Doop gestured with his hands while talking to Wolverine.

“Ah, those are the Pimples of Doom,” Silver answered dramatically. “They say he accidentally sucked in a whole bunch of people when one of those pimples popped. Then he picked at that pimple and went inside himself to save them.”

Peter had to laugh. He’d like to think that he had a pretty wild imagination, but this was beyond ridiculous. But then, if any of this was true, he shouldn’t be laughing at someone else just because he was different.

“But you don’t have to be afraid of him,” Jubilee soothed him with a gentle smile. “He’s worthy enough to lift the Mjolnir and he doesn’t speak any of the human languages. He’s not going to bother you.”

“Wolverine understands him though. Not that he has a clue how,” Silver added. “We call his language ‘Doopspeak’.”

“He’s from outer space?” Peter was getting more and more intrigued.

Kitty shrugged. “Nobody really knows. We asked the Professor, but all he could tell was that it wasn’t a human mind.”

“Hank said that he could be a product of a U.S. military experiment from the Cold War era.” Jubilee smiled again. Peter’s wide eyes aroused her appetite. “Would you like some dessert, Peter? How about a piece of chocolate cake?” She asked sweetly.

“Uh, yeah… Thanks. Sure…” Peter mumbled. He always got tongue-tied when cute girls smiled at him like that.

“We should hurry with dessert if we want to show him the WMD,” Silver reminded them. “And, I want a piece too!” He shouted out to Jubilee who was walking away from the table.

“WMD?” Peter was alarmed. The only WMD that he knew was ‘weapons of mass destruction’.

“It stands for ‘Weird Metallic Drop tower’. My dad built it and I named it.” Silver grinned. That had been a fun day.

“You guys have a drop tower inside the school? Like the amusement ride?” Peter was happily surprised. “But we didn’t see anything when we did the tour.”

Kurt laughed. “It was there. Professor makes it invisible when parents are around.”

“He can do that? Awesome!” Peter decided that telepathy was the best superpower ever. Before today, it had been flight.

“Erik’s not around these days, so Jean moves it,” Kitty explained. “But she’s too gentle, so only the kids like it now.”

“Who’s Erik?” Peter felt like he was missing a piece of the puzzle (as well as a piece of cake).

“Erik Lehnsherr. Silver’s dad,” Kurt clued him in.

“What? You’re Magneto’s son?” Peter looked at Silver. “Sorry, I didn’t even know he had a son.”

“Yeah, well, he didn’t know for a while either.” Silver shrugged. “And, I didn’t know that Tony Stark had a son either, so I think we’re even.”

“He doesn’t have a…” Peter realized that Silver was talking about him. He blushed before a huge smile broke out on his face. People thought that he was Mr. Stark’s son.

Silver looked at the table next to theirs and caught Jean’s eyes. _‘Well? He’s grinning like an idiot again.’_

_‘And your heart’s beating fast,’_ Jean pointed out.

_‘I’m excited for the cake that Jubilee’s taking ages to deliver. Seriously, where is she?’_ Silver craned his neck and looked around.

Jean decided to throw him a bone. Lunch times were sacred and Silver was ruining hers. _‘He was grateful that you made him feel welcome. He also wonders if your hair is naturally silver. He thinks it looks good on you. Now leave me alone.’_

Kitty narrowed her eyes as she watched Silver tuck his hair behind his ear _again_. He was so doing that to impress Peter who was sitting on his right –not that Peter seemed to have a clue about what was going on. Silver obviously didn’t care about the hair on the left that actually needed to be tucked. He kept tucking the hair that had already been well-tucked!

“Ta-dah!” Jubilee finally appeared with a huge slice of cake that looked more like half a cake. “Sorry it took me so long. ‘Welcome’ is such a long word. You’ll have to forgive my poor skills.”

Peter looked at the icing that indeed read ‘WELCOME’. “Aww, that’s very sweet. Thank you so much! I have amazing friends!”

Kitty groaned inside. Jubilee was winning all the points. She picked up her fork when Peter suggested that they should all share the cake. She thought out a plan as she let the chocolate soothe her soul. There were several things to find out about the boy before she could make a move. First, she had to know if Peter was really Spider-Man. Second, what was his sexuality? He could be asexual for all she knew. Third, did he already have a significant other? Fourth, was he willing to date? Or was this a bad time? Fifth, what was his type?

Kitty managed not to sigh out loud. She didn’t want to worry her friends. Love never came easily, but anything worth having was always difficult to get. She took a deep breath and decided to enjoy the ride. Whatever was going to happen was going to happen. It was just too bad that they didn’t have yoga today. That would’ve been the perfect opportunity for Jubilee to give a verdict on the butt situation and help with her first hurdle.

 

“Oh, there he is! Finally!” Tony let out a sigh of relief. “Kids these days spend way too much time indoors. That’s never good for your health.” He was looking into his military-grade binoculars from Charles’ office. The windows looked over the school backyard, which served as a perfect vantage point to check on the kid. He had been so worried, but Peter was smiling brightly, surrounded by other kids.

“Don’t you have a company to run?” Charles asked from the opposite couch. He was feeding a few squirrels premium acorns that he had imported from all corners of the world. He figured that the school’s unofficial mascots could try something new.

“I signed everything Pepper wanted me to sign. Stark Industries can survive without me for a few hours.” Tony followed Peter’s movements with great interest.

“You’re spying on him, you know,” Charles reminded his friend.

“Nuh-uh. I don’t have audio, so this doesn’t count. And, I know you spy on your students with your telepathy when you want to check if they’re okay, so don’t give me a hard time for this.”

Well, Charles couldn’t deny that. “If you must know, he created quite a sensation today. A lot of kids found him as bright as a ray of sunshine.”

“They did? That’s my boy.” Tony grinned. “Anybody gave him trouble?”

“Not that I know of. He’s been doing well in his classes too. I was particularly impressed with his understanding in physics. He could do better in English literature though.” Charles picked up his cup of tea.

“Perhaps I could read him Harry Potter before bed,” Tony joked.

“Perhaps you could leave the education to me and go back to your natural habitat. Isn’t that what Happy is here for today? To spy on the boy on your behalf? Don’t get me wrong. The kids are thrilled about his boxing lessons, but does he even know you’re here?”

“Happy works for me, not the other way around. I don’t need to report my every move to him. And, I wouldn’t have come here in the first place if his hourly reports hadn’t been so insufficient…” Tony lowered his binoculars and looked at his friend. He could feel Charles’ disapproval move onto something behind him out in the backyard. He followed Charles’ eyes and laughed. Charles was not a fan of that WMD.

“It’s not funny, you know. Every time Erik pays us a visit, the tower gets taller. I’ve had Hank install a few things to control the height and speed, but the kids keep asking Jean to make the ride go higher and drop faster. We have a perfectly entertaining set of swings and slides and everything else. I don’t understand why kids prefer that monstrosity! I keep thinking that one day my telepathy will slip and that devilish thing is going to ruin my career.”

Tony shrugged as he watched Jean perform her daily services. “I don’t know. Peter seems to like it. Have you tried it?”

“Of course I’ve bloody tried it. And, let me tell you. It was no fun at all.” Charles threw him a memory.

_“Come on, Charles. Don’t be a baby.” Erik chuckled. “You wanted to know if it was safe for your students. How would you know unless you give it a try yourself?”_

_“Very well.” Charles hated that Erik had a point. But he was a responsible teacher, so he marched towards the drop tower in his exoskeleton suit. “Hank, why are you standing there? You’re going to ride this with me and figure out how to improve its safety.”_

_“But Professor…” Hank hesitated, but Raven pulled him towards the ride. She sat between Hank and Charles before giving Erik a nod. It was show time._

_“Ahhhhhhhh!!” Charles wondered if he was giving everyone a headache. He couldn’t think straight and his screaming was deafening to his ears. How high did this bloody thing go?_

_“Noooooooo!!!!” Charles squeezed his eyes shut as the ride dropped. It was dropping so fast that he could feel a gust of wind slap his whole face. What the hell was wrong with Erik? Was he trying to kill them? How could he possibly think that this horror ride could stay inside a school? How could his students even like this?_

_When it was finally over, Charles panted, hoping that he hadn’t wet himself; it wasn’t like he could feel much below his waist. He looked to his right and saw that Raven had her head down on the safety bar. Her shoulders were shaking violently. Oh, no. She must be crying. The girl was scared out of her mind! He shook her gently to comfort her, but it turned out that she was… laughing._

_“Oh my god, Charles! I think I pulled a muscle! You were… you were…” Raven couldn’t speak as she wheezed with laughter._

_Charles was mortified. But when he looked over and saw that Hank was in no better shape than himself, he felt much better. The poor lad’s glasses were askew and he looked so much smaller._

_He thought aggressively towards Erik, ‘This is an awfully dangerous ride! There is absolutely no way the parents are going to approve! Though the name is fitting after all, I suppose.’_

_He heard a loud snickering from where Erik was standing. ‘Oh, sod off!’ He wanted to make Erik kick himself, but students were watching so he was forced to show him mercy._

Charles watched as his little plan did its job. His friend was laughing all over the place, finally relaxing since this morning. To make sure that he stayed that way, he sent a little reminder to Peter who had been thinking about calling his mentor.

“Ah, the kid’s calling. Give me a sec.” Tony watched as Charles waved at the squirrels that were running out of the office. Lunch break must be coming to an end. “Hello?”

“Hi, Mr. Stark! Is this a bad time?” Peter sounded excited.

“It’s actually the perfect time, kid. You just caught me on a break.” Tony happily chose to ignore Charles’ snort. “How’s the first day at school?”

“Oh, it’s marvelous! I just wanted to let you know that everything’s fine in case you were worried. Everyone’s very nice to me, so thank you for that.”

Tony frowned. “Why do you think that has anything to do with me?”

“Well, people saw me with you on Saturday. They obviously don’t want to get on the bad side of Iron Man.”

Tony huffed. “Listen to me very closely, young man. If everyone’s nice to you, it’s because they like you. And, that’s not because you’re… you-know-who or attached to me or Iron Man. Peter Parker has always been enough and that’s not going to change any time soon. Understood?”

“Yeah…”

Tony didn’t like the lack of conviction in the kid’s voice. “Peter, let me make this clear. Even if you want to stop being a superhero and live your life as a regular teenager, I would love you just the same. You’re kind, smart, and funny, and anyone who knows you would feel the same.” Tony looked down at his phone in horror. That was a terribly mushy thing to say. He raised an eyebrow at Charles who held up his hands and shook his head. _‘That was all you, love.’_

“Thanks, Mr. Stark. I really appreciate that. And… I love you too,” Peter answered after a beat.

Tony wasn’t sure what to say to that, but fortunately Peter kept talking.

“And, don’t work too hard. You don’t have super stamina like I do.” Peter giggled.

“Pfft, I know that all work and no play makes Tony a dull boy. Now try not to scare the other kids too much with your super intelligence, and we’ll talk more at home, okay?”

“Okay. Bye, Mr. Stark. I have so much to tell you!”

“You do? I guess we’ll have a very long dinner then.” Tony chuckled. “See you later, kid.” He ended the call and took a deep breath. It seemed like he had been worried for nothing.

“Now that you’ve confirmed that your chick is safe and sound, will you go back to your office? I have classes to teach.” Charles got up from the couch.

“All right, all right. I’m leaving.” Tony packed his binoculars and gave Charles a hug.

Charles hugged him back, thinking that it was nice to see the man so often.

“You know, the same goes for you too,” Tony said in a warm voice.

“Hmm?” Charles gave him a questioning look.

“I don’t think anybody ever tells you that. They’re probably all too busy admiring your powers, and that’s all good. But even if you weren’t a powerful telepath, I’d love you just the same. I just want you to remember that.” Tony tried to send over a cozy cloud of comfort like the ones that he was used to receiving.

“Oh, Anthony…” Charles smiled a little wetly. “Thank you. And, this is why your mind is my all-time favorite.” He chose not to elaborate and embarrass the man, but he sent him all the affection that he had for him.

Tony headed towards the door with rosy cheeks. “Stay safe, Charles. God forbid something happen to you and make me join forces with the Dickhead. And, if he doesn’t visit you more often, he’s got a worse nickname coming his way.”

“Ooh, Tony Stark. My hero!” Charles pretended to swoon.

As the bell rang, he sent a wave of laughter throughout the school like he always did after lunch breaks. As far as he was concerned, laughter was the best dessert.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1) Fun fact: They actually considered gluing Tom's ears because they stuck out too much in the mask XD I tried to find the interview on Youtube where Tom talks about it, but I can't seem to find it again. 
> 
> 2) Tom is actually loved by squirrels in real life as you can check in this video he posted. [Loved by squirrels](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hk8c_9xTtlg)
> 
> 3) I was wondering if Peter was Iron Man's biggest fan, but then I tumbled upon this clip about Paul Bettany(Vision) and Jennifer Connelly(KAREN)'s daughter, Agnes. She confesses her love for Iron Man three times! It's so cute that I wanted to share :D [I love Iron Man](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qV7gGv-uAM)
> 
> 4) My brother's getting married next weekend, so I might need an extra day or two for the next update. Thanks for your understanding and support! :)


	5. Today’s problem: A perfectly reasonable tantrum

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter gets to learn and experience new things in school with powerful new friends. It's amazing! Tony understands that. That's what schools are for. So why is this ugly green monster that isn't Bruce Banner sneaking up on him? 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry for the terrible delay! D: My brother got married and then I got sick. Everything's okay now. Next chapter will be uploaded in a week as per usual. Thanks for all the warm support <3 

  
_  
In the previous chapter…_

Peter had made some new friends at school and had been glad to be surrounded by people who were just like him. Meanwhile Tony had been worried sick after sending Peter into a new environment. He had even spied on him in Charles’ office, but the kid had seemed to be enjoying himself.

 

Peter grinned as he changed into his swimming trunks. Classes had ended and now he had swimming club. Ever since he had been bitten by that spider, he had been enjoying physical activities on a whole new level. He had learned how to swim at the local community center when he was little, but there had been far too many kids. A small and shy boy like him hadn’t been able to catch enough of the instructor’s attention to learn much.

He had always liked water though. There was something soothing about it even if it was sterilized with chlorine. So after he had become Spider-Man, he had tried swimming again at his old school. He had found that not only did he love swimming but also that there were fewer distractions in the water. It limited the number of inputs that his brain had to process and he could just focus on the small world that was visible through his goggles. There was an indoor pool in the Avengers residential building, so now he could swim whenever he wanted to.

He closed his locker and looked around. The locker room was ultra-modern; so different from the rest of the school. There was even an Inbody machine that analyzed one’s body composition such as body fat and muscle mass. The rest of the school had an 18th century ambiance since Professor Xavier had turned his family mansion into a school. While he liked the old, traditional décor of the school that reminded him of Hogwarts, he also liked the modern locker room because it made him feel like a professional athlete.

Silver’s blurry movement caught his eye when he walked out of the locker room. He had never seen anyone move around so much. When the boy finally stood still, he noticed that he was wearing swimming trunks and had swimming goggles on his head. “You’re in the swimming club!”

“What gave it away?” Silver grinned.

Peter rolled his eyes before asking, “Can you swim fast too?”

“Yep. My powers are in my legs, so I can kick really fast. I can easily beat Darwin in dolphin mode. We actually raced in the ocean once.” Silver chuckled.

“In the ocean? That’s so badass!” Peter tried to picture it as he followed Silver to the indoor pool.

“Yeah, it was pretty sick. We covered quite some distance, but we had security measures in place. Not that I think anything would’ve happened, but Charles is a stickler for safety. A boat was following us with Sean on it. Sean’s Banshee, by the way. He can detect objects under water with sonar.”

“Whoa! I know I say this way too often, but that is just so damn cool.” Peter sighed happily. He loved hearing about all these superpowers. “And, what’s dolphin mode?”

Silver called a guy who was chatting with his boyfriend, Alex, near the pool. “Hey, Darwin! Peter wants to see you in dolphin mode!”

“Uh, I didn’t even get to say hi to him yet. I don’t think it’s polite to…” Peter stopped talking as Darwin dived into the pool and grew blue-gray fins and a tail right in front of his eyes. Holy amazeballs! He gawked as Darwin swam all the way to the end using the butterfly stroke and did a dolphin kick with an actual dolphin tail. He looked like a mysterious creature that blessed poor, gawking souls with his superior powers. “That is the best power ever!” he yelled in delight. It seemed like his favorite superpower changed almost every day.

Silver laughed at the dumb look on Peter’s face. “He’s called Darwin for a reason, you know. But Professor X said that his nickname should be Lamarck instead. I guess he’s right. Darwin’s power _is_ much closer to Lamarck’s theory of evolution than Charles Darwin’s. Lamarck argued that organisms develop specific traits to adapt to environmental changes, which does sound like reactive evolution.”

“Wow, you sounded so smart right now.” Peter smiled at Silver after clapping at Darwin’s little bow.

“Thanks! But I can show you something better than ‘smart’.” Silver smirked and stepped right up to the edge of the pool. His power might not be as marvelous as Darwin’s, but he had his share of tricks. He looked over his shoulder to check that Peter was giving him his undivided attention and jogged lightly across the surface of the water.

“Jesus Christ!” Peter gasped. He was glad that his eyesight was enhanced enough to catch glimpses of the spectacle.

“Yeah, Hank thinks there’s a chance that Jesus was a mutant too.” Peter casually came back to where Peter was standing.

“Hey, water strider!” Sean teased from the other side of the pool.

“Well, Peter called me Jesus, so I’m choosing him!” Silver shouted back.

Peter blushed a little as Silver gave him a wink. He looked like a comic book character with his big brown eyes, silver hair, and a jawline that could cut through things. But really, what did he use for his hair? It looked shiny even when it wasn’t wet or under the sun. He watched as Silver stretched his lithe body. He himself had been in great shape since that spider bite, but Silver looked like an Olympic star. All that running had done its job and it probably helped that Silver was two years older than him; seventeen sounded way cooler than fifteen.

“Look over there.” Silver pointed at Sean and Darwin who were moving underwater. “They’re communicating through sonar right now.”

“Wow! That’s so cool, man!” Peter stared as he stretched his legs as well. He thought about how things were done so differently around here. Back in his old school, when people wanted to share a secret, they would write it down on a piece of paper and burn it later in the lab. But here, they used sonar in the pool or flew on top of the trees like Warren and Kitty had done during lunch break. Jean talked to others through her telepathy, Wolverine and Doop used Doopspeak, and Doreen spoke the squirrels’ language. He found it both absolutely crazy and incredibly awesome.

“It must be nice to know someone who has the same powers as you.” Silver tried not to sound bitter as he watched Darwin and Sean come above water and laugh loudly with their heads thrown back.

“Yeah, it must be,” Peter agreed before he realized that he had Kurt. They looked very different on the outside, but they were both super strong and flexible, and could stick to walls. Of course, Kurt’s main power was teleportation. But for someone who hadn’t been bitten by a radioactive spider, his secondary powers were pretty close to his and he was grateful for that. He looked at Silver with compassion as he moved onto stretching his arms. “You don’t know anyone who can run that fast?”

Silver shook his head. “But Charles mentioned there was a boy like me in another world.”

“Another world?”

“Yeah, he can sometimes contact people from other worlds. It doesn’t happen often because the moon has to be in the right position, and his bio rhythm and his telepathic wave have to be in sync with some other weird stuff, but he heard about someone who could run so fast that he could travel through time.”

“Whoa!”

“I know, right? He’s called ‘Flash’ apparently.” Silver wasn’t sure if he liked that code name.

“Oh…” Peter shivered as he thought about the Flash that he knew from Queens.

“I do run faster than last year, so who knows? Maybe I could run that fast too someday.” Silver put on his goggles and flashed Peter a smile.

“I’m sure you can!” Peter encouraged his friend. “Nobody would think otherwise.”

“Thanks, Peter!” Silver was a little taken aback by the sincerity in Peter’s voice, but he appreciated it. “What’s your favorite stroke?”

“Uh, freestyle? I’d like to learn the butterfly though.” Peter pulled down his goggles, hoping that he didn’t look like a frog in front of a prince.

“I can teach you if you want,” Silver offered, crouching next to the pool and splashing water on his body.

“Really? You’d do that? Thanks!” Peter did the same, excited at the opportunity to learn the coolest stroke.

“Race me to the edge and back, and let’s see if you’re worth my time.” Silver grinned as he got into the pool. “I’ll go easy on you though. You go freestyle, I’ll go backstroke. How does that sound?”

“It sounds unfair to you, but if you insist.” Peter gave his opponent what he hoped was his meanest look. “I’m gonna keep going even if you bump your head on the wall.”

Silver laughed and got into the backstroke starting position. “It is so on.”

 

A couple of hours later, Peter was walking to the school library to nurse his pride and his heart. He understood why his pride had been hurt -he had tried to beat a superhuman with motors on his legs- but he wasn’t sure why his heart had taken a hit. In his fifteen years of life, he had never found a boy particularly cute. He knew that there was a first for everything, but seriously? It hadn’t even been a year since his life had turned upside down with the spider bite. He didn’t want to go through another existential crisis.

Well, compared to acquiring superpowers, turning out to be bisexual didn’t seem like much. Bur urgh… why had he let Silver teach him? Which part of his brain had thought that it was a good idea to let Silver show him the butterfly? He had looked magnificent while powering through the water with his silver hair shining like moonlight. Why didn’t this school make people wear swimming caps? If Professor Xavier cared so much about students’ safety, why didn’t he care more about the safety of their hearts?

He was glad that he had learned the stroke quickly. Silver had only needed to touch him a few times to adjust the position of his arms, shoulders, and waist. It wasn’t like Silver had made him uncomfortable; he had managed to make himself uncomfortable all by himself. While he had been busy floundering in the water, Silver had asked for his phone number and the number had just rolled off his tongue. Before he had realized what was going on, Silver had already retrieved his phone, put in the number, and had called him. So now he had a new contact under the name ‘Silver butterfly’…

Peter walked into the library of every bookworm’s dream. It looked like it had come straight out of the film ‘Beauty and the Beast’. It was two-story high with swirling stairs and long but sturdy ladders. Sunlight was streaming through elegant windows, and under most of them was a cozy sitting space with big, soft cushions. It was by far the most breathtaking space in the school, and given how beautiful the school was in general, the library was truly something special.

He looked around and sighed in relief. Nobody seemed to be paying him much attention and it was dead quiet; just what he needed to feel like himself again. He was hoping to find a book on reactive evolution and to check out the ‘hidden’ section of the library. Just like the WMD, Professor Xavier used his gift to keep several rows of publications safe from prying eyes.

He giggled inside as he saw a little boy with an annoyed look on his face fly close to the ceiling to pull out a book. He didn’t seem to have the patience for stairs or ladders. The sight of flight never ceased to amaze him no matter how often he got to see it. It seemed to be one of the most common superpowers among the students, usually as a secondary power. He felt pretty close to flying when he was swinging from building to building, but now that he had web wings, he could enjoy real flight even if it was only for a few seconds. There were no words to describe just how awesome Mr. Stark was and he wished that his mentor could understand how much those wings were appreciated.

He passed a few windows and smiled. He already felt light-hearted, just walking through the library. The warm sunlight, the comfortable silence, and the perfectly controlled climate soothed his heightened senses even better than water. He reached the secret section and browsed the shelves. Out of the many intriguing books, he chose a booklet on the Professor’s telepathy. He felt like he was handling material that people would kill for. He wondered if anyone had been stupid enough to try and abduct the professor to ‘borrow’ his powers.

Peter took off his sneakers and got comfortable on a large, round couch. The book had been handwritten and served mainly as a telepathy log, recording everything that the Professor had been able to do. He had heard from Mr. Stark that the professor wasn’t big on technology. It was funny that he was great friends with Mr. Stark who was the embodiment of modern technology. The professor had wonderful handwriting though. The words curled at all the right places and looked elegant just like the man himself. But he had seen Mr. Stark’s handwriting and he liked it better; it was more intense and charismatic.

He lost track of time as he read each and every sentence with care. Every piece of information blew his mind and the professor had a sense of humor. There were a few sheets of paper attached at the end, which looked like a short Q&A. He chuckled as he read a question that was written in squiggles.

_Q: Dear Professor Xavier, can’t you just put an encyclopedia inside our heads?_

_A: Dear Student, what a great question! I had to think for many hours to come up with an answer! In a perfect world, that would be the perfect idea. But have you seen the movie “Inside out”? In the movie, memories are kept inside crystal balls. If I just put information into your brain, the balls will be too weak and would break easily. But if you learn that information yourself, they stay strong for a very long time._

Aww, that was such a cute answer. The professor taught students from kindergarteners to undergraduates and he really seemed to know what he was doing. He put the booklet back in its place and grinned when he found a photo album of Professor Xavier and Mr. Stark. He couldn’t stop laughing quietly at all the funny faces that Mr. Stark made in those pictures. They were mostly from their childhoods, but some of them were from academic conferences. It seemed like they had published a few papers together.

The last few pages contained comments from the students. He smiled and pulled out a pen. He left a comment about how cute Baby Stark was. Then he frowned. Most of the comments were either about the professor or the both of them. Of course, they were all Professor Xavier’s students, but that just wouldn’t do. Mr. Stark deserved more love. So he used different pens and different handwritings to leave nice comments on Mr. Stark. He was on a mission; fanboying was serious business.

Mission accomplished, he finally set out to find a book on Lamarck’s theory of evolution. He was about to pull out a book from a shelf standing against the wall when he got the scare of his life. “Arghhh!!!” Kitty had walked out of the wall right in front of him and if it hadn’t been for his superhuman reflexes, she could’ve walked right through him!

“Shh!” Kitty put a finger on her lips. “I’m sorry!” she whispered. “It’s a big library in a small school. The chances of me literally running into someone are extremely low…”

Peter nodded with his hand on his chest. His heart was still pounding, but now that they were talking about her powers, he had a question. “I saw you fly earlier. Is that your secondary power?”

Kitty smiled and shook her head. “It’s more like power zero. I am able to walk through walls without falling through the floor _because_ I can fly. Well, it’s not technically flying. I can manipulate electrical fields and simulate levitation. I call it ‘air-walking’.”

“That’s awesome!” Peter whispered excitedly. He loved how every superpower seemed to have a scientific explanation.

“Thanks.” Kitty straightened her dress. She had chosen blue in homage to Spider-Man’s colors. Jubilee still hadn’t given a verdict on the butt situation since yoga class hadn’t happened yet, but she decided that it didn’t matter. She wanted to get to know Peter whether he was Spider-Man or not. “You know, I can phase through walls with other people. Do you want to give it a try?”

Peter nearly dropped the book. “Yes! I’d love to! How do we do that…?”

“I just need to hold your hand, that’s all.” Kitty fought off the blush that was creeping up her cheeks. She didn’t want to send out the wrong message. “I need to be in contact with the object or person I want to phase with.”

“Okay.” Peter offered her his hand, trying not to make a big deal out of it. It wasn’t every day that he held a girl’s hand, but Kitty already looked uncomfortable enough for the both of them.

“We’re going to walk through that tall bookshelf over there,” Kitty whispered as she pointed at a few feet away with her free hand. She tried not to think about her other hand. “It’s going to be less scary than walking through a wall. You can see the other side.”

“I’m not scared…!” Peter hoped that his voice didn’t wobble as they headed for the bookshelf. “Do I close my eyes? Should I hold my breath too?”

“I usually do since it feels weird when I don’t. But you’ll be fine even if you don’t. And, it’s only going to take two seconds.” Kitty stopped right in front of the bookshelf. “Ready?”

“Yeah… let’s do this.” Peter squeezed his eyes shut and held his breath.

“Um, Peter?”

“Yeah?” Peter opened one eye to see what the problem was.

“Could you squeeze my hand a little less, please?”

“Oh, sorry!” Peter loosened his grip, mortified that he had hurt someone who was kindly sharing her powers with him.

“You didn’t hurt me if that’s what got you all pale.” Kitty chuckled. “Ready?”

“Yes.” Peter braced himself and when he felt Kitty tug on his hand, he took a step forward. He gasped as his body started to float. His feet weren’t touching the floor and it freaked him out. He also felt a little bit tingly here and there, but there wasn’t any pain or discomfort. When Kitty tugged again, he took another step and his feet were on the floor again.

“We’re through. Turn around and look for yourself.” Kitty let go of Peter’s hand. It was still throbbing, but she figured that it was a small price to pay.

“Holy shit! We actually walked through it!” Peter was doing his best to keep his voice to a whisper, but it wasn’t easy. He had ‘air-walked’ and ‘phased’ for the first time. Those two words hadn’t even been in his vocabulary until a few minutes ago. He faced the girl who had made it possible and gave her his best smile. “Thanks, Kitty! It was really, really nice of you.”

Kitty smiled back. “You’re welcome. We can try it again some other time.”

Peter’s smile only got wider as he thought about phasing again. Then he noticed that Kitty’s cheeks were flushed just like they had been during yesterday’s lunch break. “Are you okay? Still feeling under the weather?”

“Me? Uh, I think I’m feeling all right?” Kitty was confused.

Peter put the back of his hand on her forehead before he realized what he was doing. He jumped backwards and flailed his hands. “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to…”

“You didn’t mean to check my temperature?” Kitty smirked.

Peter laughed. He had to chill. But the whole butterfly incident with Silver was still on his mind and it didn’t help that Kitty looked pretty too. Now that he thought about it, why was everyone so cute and good looking around here? Was it a secondary mutation? Was it supposed to raise their chances of survival in an unforgiving world? He knew that he had it easy and he could understand only so much what his friends must’ve gone through before they met Professor Xavier. His mutation didn’t show on the outside and it wasn’t a power that was dangerous or difficult to control. He also had the support of Aunt May, Mr. Stark, and Happy. He had a safe place outside the school while many of the students didn’t.

“Hey, I think I should ask you the same thing. Are you okay?” Kitty looked at Peter with a worried face. “Are you hungry? Whatever it is, Emery’s ice cream is going to cheer you up.”

“Ice cream? Hell yeah!” Peter perked up.

“Okay, I just need to find a book real quick. You’re going to check that one out?” Kitty pointed at the book that Peter was holding against his chest.

“Oh yeah, yeah. I’ll meet you at the cafeteria?”

Kitty twirled her hair around her finger. “I was hoping you might want to phase over there.”

“Only if you’re feeling all right.” Peter didn’t want to push it.

“I’m better than all right. I’ll meet you here in five minutes.” Kitty’s eyes twinkled as she walked away.

Peter smiled dreamily at the prospect of phasing again until he realized that he would have to hold Kitty’s hand again. Did he have nice hands? He sniffed at his right hand and figured that he could at least offer her a clean hand. He would have to use his five minutes wisely.

 

“Hehehe…” Peter giggled as he finished telling Mr. Stark everything that had happened at school. Well, he had left out the part about Silver and Kitty looking pretty and how he might be bi, but the experience was complete now that he had shared it with his mentor. They were in the mini-lab with him hanging upside down next to Mr. Stark who was working on his Spider-Man suit. Dum-E was there to help and he had remembered their secret handshake!

He had thought about patrolling the neighborhood for the first time, but the suit had been in the lab to get cleaned and Mr. Stark had wanted to install a new safety feature. It seemed like he would get to float in his suit if he ever got dunked in the water again. It was amazing to see how many features you could possibly put in one light, skin-tight suit.

“Oh, do you have any spare lotion by any chance? For hands?” Peter asked just in case Kitty offered to phase with her again.

“What for?” Tony asked suspiciously as he kept his eyes on the suit. He had a good idea of the reason, but he refused to think about it. He was feeling exceptionally pouty at the moment.

“To have well-moisturized hands? It’s fall. I don’t want my hands to get all rough.” Peter didn’t want to give away the real reason. He was sure that Mr. Stark would tease him for an entire week.

“Check my bathroom. FRIDAY can help you out.” Tony knew that his tone would worry the kid, but he couldn’t help it.

“Um, is everything okay, Mr. Stark? If you’re busy or tired, I’m sure this can wait.”

“I’m fine.”

“Really… I don’t plan on getting thrown into the water anytime soon, haha…”

Peter’s heart sank when he didn’t get any reaction to the joke. What was going on? He didn’t think that the man would give him a straight answer, so he would have to ask FRIDAY. “I’m just going to get that hand cream right now. Be right back...”

As soon as he locked the bathroom door, Peter asked FRIDAY in a hurry, “Why is Mr. Stark mad at me? Do you know anything? Any guesses? I mean, he looked happy to see me at first, but then he started acting all weird…” He flopped down on the floor.

FRIDAY: “I believe Mr. Stark is experiencing acute jealousy.”

“What? Why would he be jealous? Of whom?”

FRIDAY: “Of everyone you talked about. According to his micro-expressions, he was especially agitated when you talked about Silver, Kitty, and Professor Xavier.”

Peter didn’t know how to respond to that. Did Mr. Stark feel left out? None of the Avengers were around for Mr. Stark while he made new friends in a world that Mr. Stark wasn’t exactly a part of. Had he chatted too happily about the new people in his life? Had he been insensitive? And, where was Dr. Banner anyway? What happened to the ‘Science Bros’? Also, why couldn’t Colonel Rhodes recover here instead of going back home? And, did Vision really need to find the meaning of life in _Tibet_? Urgh! “Tell me, FRIDAY, what can I do to make him feel better?”

FRIDAY: “You can show him that he’s still a big part of your life.”

“Are you kidding me?” Peter jumped up in frustration. “He’s the _biggest_ part of my life! How could he not know that?”

FRIDAY: “He knows, Peter. He just feels insecure after everyone left him. He doesn’t want to lose you too.”

“He’s never going to lose me. You can be sure of that.” Peter crossed his arms.

FRIDAY: “I know that. It’s Mr. Stark who has to be sure of that.”

Peter rubbed his chin and racked his brain. What would be a good way to show Mr. Stark that he had nothing to worry about? He understood that a true hero walked a lonely road, but he wanted Mr. Stark to be loved as much as possible. He also wished that Mr. Stark would feel comfortable enough to talk to him so that he didn’t have to consult an A.I., but he knew that was wishful thinking. “Do you think you can cover for me? If he asks, I went out to get some chocolate.”

FRIDAY: “Are you asking me to lie to Mr. Stark?”

Peter pulled at his hair. “Have you ever heard of a white lie? If you care about Mr. Stark, you will do this for him.”

FRIDAY: “Very well. You went out for some chocolate and you will be back soon.”

“Good. Keep him company while I’m gone, will you? Tell him some funny jokes or something.” Peter ran out of the building and headed for the nearby store. He needed to get his hands on thermochromic paint.

 

Meanwhile, Tony looked up from his workshop with a frown. “FRIDAY, what’s the kid doing in there? Did he fall asleep in the tub?”

FRIDAY: “No, sir. He went out for some chocolate and he will be back soon.”

“Chocolate, huh? I thought he had enough chocolate at his disposal.”

FRIDAY: “I think he went out for a specific kind, sir.”

“Well, let me know what kind it is when he gets back, so I can add it to the shopping list.” Tony sighed. Had Peter really gone out for chocolate or had he freaked him out? He knew that he was being childish and irrational, so perhaps it was a good thing that Peter was staying away from him. But really, it was unbelievable how quickly kids got attached to new people. He knew that the human brain naturally craved for something new, but this sucked bullocks.

FRIDAY: “Sir, incoming call from May Parker.”

“Patch her through.” Tony put down his tools. “Hey, May. What can I do for you?”

“Hi, Tony. I’d ask if this is a bad time, but I happen to know that this is the perfect time. And, it’s more like what can _I_ do for _you_?”

“I’m not following.” Tony poured more coffee into his mouth. His brain needed more fuel.

“A little spider told me that you could use some company,” May said gently. She didn’t want to spook the vulnerable man-child.

“What did he tell you?” Tony groaned.

“He didn’t say much, but I think you might be going through the same things as I did.”

“I very much doubt that.”

“Oh, yeah? Let me tell you the story about one Gwen Stacy. She was a kid who went to school with Peter when he was eight. Before she walked into Peter’s life, I was the prettiest girl on the planet. We’d be watching a movie together on TV and whenever Ben said that the actress was pretty, Peter would defend my honor and say, ‘But May is prettier.’”

Tony chuckled. “Let me guess. Then one day, he came home babbling about this pretty girl at school and ruined your life.”

“Exactly! I still hate the name ‘Gwen’ to this day. It sounds awfully twisted. So tell me, did he come home babbling about Professor Xavier?”

“Yes, and about two ‘new friends’. He has a crush on them, by the way.”

“Really? Two at the same time?”

“Who knows if it’ll stop at two? Maybe he’ll come home tomorrow with three more crushes,” Tony said bitterly. “Charles taught a class of his today and it was all ‘Professor said this, Professor said that. Oh, he’s so smart and kind, Mr. Stark! Isn’t telepathy amazing, Mr. Stark? He’s the best teacher I’ve ever had, Mr. Stark!’”

May laughed at Tony’s impersonation of her nephew. It was spot on. “He means ‘in school’, Tony. The best teacher he’s ever had in school. Nobody can mentor him like you do and he knows that.”

Tony thought that he was starting to feel a little bit better. Why wasn’t May in the counseling business? “Also, a boy taught him how to swim the butterfly and a girl walked through walls with him today. And, now he’s got these horrendous heart eyes that make me want to throw up. What is he trying to achieve? Get himself a harem? And, really, Charles has most of his students worshipping him already. Does he really have to add Peter to that list? What if Peter wants to join the X-Men now?”

“He does _not_ want to join the X-Men, Tony.”

“And, how would you know that? Kids change their minds all the time. It says so in that parenting book ‘Cry on the inside but smile on the outside’. Great book. It makes you want to be on a battlefield rather than in a room with a child.”

May laughed before her tone turned serious. “Let me tell you something about Peter. He admires people who fought to become special. Those mutants were _born_ as mutants. They were already special. But you, you had to work hard to become Iron Man. I heard from Peter that your first suit was built out of necessity, but the ones that followed were different. You kept making them to save the world. You could’ve led a normal life, but you chose to sacrifice it to help other people. You’ve probably suffered along the way more than we know, but you’re still not giving up. You saw an opportunity to be someone that we all needed and you took it. So the way Peter and I see it, you’re much more special than any of them.”

Tony didn’t know what to say. Did she really mean what she said? “Say, May, would you like to write my speeches? Fantastic speech, that was.”

“I mean it, Tony,” May made herself clear. “And, I’m not even going to start about all the things that you’ve done for him. So if you’re feeling insecure over a bunch of high-school kids and a professor whom Peter has only met a few times, you don’t know half of what he feels for you. No one will even come remotely close to you in a million years. Frankly, I’m surprised he hasn’t started a cult that worships you and only you.”

Tony’s shoulders sagged in relief. “So it’s still just you and me on the pedestal?”

May smiled softly. “I don’t think I was ever up there. But it’s okay. I have my role and you have yours.”

Tony was about to say something soothing when a head poked into the lab.

“Mr. Stark?”

“I gotta go, May. The prodigal son has returned.”

Peter shifted his weight from foot to foot as he waited for the call to be wrapped up. Thankfully, Mr. Stark didn’t look mad anymore.

“Get in here, kid.” Tony gestured. “Let me see what you got from the store.”

Peter grinned and put down a package on the table. It was wrapped in gold paper, and on the top right corner, it was written ‘For my favorite superhero of all times’.

“Is this for me or for some other superhero you met in school?” Tony joked.

“It’s for you, Mr. Stark! Not even for Iron Man, just for you. Open it!” Peter crossed his fingers behind his back. He really hoped that Mr. Stark would like his gift.

Tony tore the wrapping paper in his haste. Whatever Peter got him, he was going to cherish it forever. Inside the box, he found four mugs. They had different words on each of them inside a red heart; ‘You’re’, ‘never’, ‘alone’, ‘Mr. Stark’.

“You made these?” Tony turned the mugs around and saw that Peter had painted what looked like spring, summer, fall, and winter. Four mugs, four seasons.

“Yeah, I used thermochromic paint that you told me about when we were looking at curtains. If you pour hot coffee, the mugs are going to change colors.” Peter couldn’t wait to see it. He hadn’t had the time to test it himself.

Tony smiled as he thought about the curtains that Peter had chosen for his bedroom. They were thermochromic, meaning that they were heat sensitive. The curtains represented the sky and worked with natural light. When there was sunlight, he could see a light-blue sky with fleecy clouds; which was what he usually woke up to. When there was no sunlight, he could see a dark sky full of stars; which was what he fell asleep to. He loved them and he had already told Peter that he wanted to be buried in them when he died.

“Why did you get me so many? To make a sentence? Not that I’m complaining.” Tony ran his fingers around the rim of each mug like a ritual.

“Because you drink a lot of coffee and you can only wash the mugs so often.” Peter hoped that he was being thoughtful. “Oh, and I got the plain mugs from the Avengers merch department. But don’t worry! I paid for them with my allowance. They gave me a ‘friends and family’ discount!”

Tony laughed and swallowed the lump in his throat. He had no idea what he had done to deserve a kid like Peter, but he was going to protect him at all costs. “FRI, will you start the coffee machine for me? I’m going to try out my ‘never’ mug.”

FRIDAY: “Right away, sir.”

They walked into Tony’s kitchen, holding two mugs each. Peter carefully lined up the rest of the mugs on the countertop in the correct order: ‘You’re’, ‘alone’, ‘Mr. Stark’. Both of them burst into laughter when they read it.

“That’s pretty harsh.” Tony chuckled before he let out a “Woof!”

“I love you, Mr. Stark.” Peter clung to Mr. Stark’s waist as he listened to his heartbeat. He knew the sound well, but it was wonderful to hear it up close.

“Love you too, kid.” Tony shuddered at the fact that he didn’t have to squeeze the words out of his chest. And, to make things worse, his subconscious decided that it was a good idea to kiss the top of the kid’s head!

“Ooh, Mr. Stark! Let me live!” Peter grabbed his chest and pretended to swoon.

“Cut it out, will you?” Tony refused to blush. “Tell you what. Why don’t you escort your robot boyfriend back to the main lab and grab the suit? I think we’re ready to test it in the pool.”

“Really? Awesome!”

“And then, you’re going to show me that fancy butterfly of yours.” Tony pointed a finger at Peter.

“Okay, Mr. Stark! Be ready to be impressed!”

“Oh, I don’t know. Michael Phelps used to invite me to his…”

“Lalala, I can’t hear you.” Peter fled with his hands on his ears.

Tony snorted and poured himself a cup of coffee. ‘Never’ had never looked better.

 


	6. Today’s problem: Joint patrol with a little punk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony finds some time to spend with Peter, so he decides to surprise him after classes. But not a single day goes by without giving him some kind of a Peter-shaped heart attack, and it looks like today isn't going to be any different. Meanwhile, Peter, as usual, is having the best time of his life. 

_  
In the previous chapter…_

Peter had gotten to spend some time with Silver in the swimming pool and with Kitty in the library and the cafeteria. He had learned how to swim the butterfly and had shown it to Mr. Stark after they had tested the Spider-Man suit’s new feature; floating on water. He had also experienced air-walking and phasing for the first time.

 

Peter’s ears picked up the sound of the engine that belonged to the silver Audi that Happy drove him in. He was waiting outside the school gates because he didn’t want the students who lived in the school to get jealous. Who wouldn’t be jealous when Mr. Stark sent a fancy car to pick him up every day? If they knew that he even lived with Mr. Stark, they would be even more jealous!

_Honk-honk._

Peter looked up from his phone and gasped. He had been expecting Happy, but this was such a welcome surprise. “Mr. Stark!”

Tony lowered the window on the driver’s seat and gave Peter a smug smile. “Get in, kid.”

Peter wasted no time in jumping in the backseat. His eyes widened at the sight of the Iron Man suit casually sitting next to him. “Oh! You brought Mark 47!”

“Yes, I did. Extra points for getting the model right.”

Peter scoffed as he put on his seatbelt. “Oh, please. That’s just insulting my vast knowledge on everything Iron Man.”

Tony chuckled and drove away. “Hungry?”

“Always.” Peter sniffed the air and smelt something delicious. “Are we going on a mission?”

“Nope. But we’re going on patrol if you’re up for it.” Tony kept one hand on the wheel and used his other hand to pull a sandwich out of the snack basket in the passenger’s seat.

“What do you mean ‘we’…?” Peter asked carefully as he unwrapped his sandwich. He didn’t want to get his hopes up. He had dreamed about patrolling with Iron Man forever; even before he had been bitten by that spider.

“I mean you and me. Do you want to hear it in Spanish? Tú y yo. In French? Toi et moi.”

“We’re going on joint patrol?!” Peter’s voice cracked with excitement. He couldn’t believe that it was finally happening. “Where?”

“I thought we could just stay upstate. Everyone knows the Avengers have moved, and you and I have already been seen together before. If people see you with me today, they’ll just assume I’m mentoring you or you’re helping me out. They won’t necessarily think that you moved up here.” Tony was aware that it was a weak argument, but they had to start somewhere. And, it wasn’t like they could patrol very far away from here, just to give the impression that Spider-Man had moved that far.

Peter wolfed down the sandwich as he thought about it. “By the way, this tastes amazing, Mr. Stark.”

“Thanks. I made it myself.” Tony didn’t bother to hide the pride in his voice. “I tried to go easy with the bread, threw in some pickles, and made it real flat. Just the way you like it.”

“Wow, how did you know all that? I’m impressed!”

Tony scoffed as he made a right turn. “Oh, please. That’s just insulting my vast knowledge on everything Peter Parker.”

Peter laughed and took another big bite. “I’m in, Mr. Stark. I’ve always wanted to patrol with you! I’m sure you knew that too.”

Tony gave him a smile in the rear-view mirror. No matter how many times he saw it, the twinkle in the kid’s eyes always touched his heart. “Well, it’s been a few days since you’ve stretched those muscles and my schedule opened up just an hour ago. It looks like we’re officially going on our first joint patrol.”

Peter nodded with a huge smile on his face. He was thrilled that Mr. Stark chose to spend his free time with him. He knew that he had been taking a lot of his time, but May was going to move in soon, so Mr. Stark would be free of him in a few days. The thought hurt since he loved everything about living with the great man. No more breakfast together and probably no more dinner together either. He would still have a workstation in Mr. Stark’s private lab, but there was no guarantee that Mr. Stark would be there at the same time as him.

Tony looked into the rearview mirror. It made him uneasy whenever Peter was too quiet. “A soda for your thoughts?” He threw a can of soda over his shoulder.

Peter caught it easily and opened it. “I was just thinking about today’s special class,” he lied. It was a white lie; he didn’t want Mr. Stark to feel bad or worry about him. He had already done more than enough for him.

“Which was?”

“Basic medical care. We learned how to bandage an ankle.” Peter drank his soda.

“And you were frowning because?”

“Because I don’t have anyone to practice with. I’d ask Happy, but I don’t think he’s the type to lend an ankle.” Now that he talked about it, Peter really felt like he should get a practice partner.

“Well, you’re in luck, kid! I happen to be the type to lend an ankle.” Tony stopped the car in a remote spot near the road. “Can it wait after patrol?”

“Sure!” Peter finished his soda and looked up expectantly.

“Well, change into your suit. If you need more room, try those bushes over there.” Tony pointed at some thick bushes nearby and got out of the car. He called Mark 47 to his side and walked into it.

“Ow!” Peter bumped his head on the ceiling of the car as he wriggled into his suit. He couldn’t help the grin that threatened to break his face. After all these years, he was finally going to patrol with Iron Man. Yes, he had fought on Team Iron Man in Germany, but that had been stressful and too surreal to process.

_Knock-knock._

Peter jumped at the knock on the window. “I’m done, Mr. Stark!” He stepped out of the car with his backpack on his back.

“You can just leave the bag in there. I’m going to send the car back home.”

“But what if the car gets stolen? You got me this. I’m not going to lose it.” Peter held onto the shoulder straps.

“Peter, it’s a Stark Industries car, equipped with a very capable A.I. It’s not going to get stolen.”

“I’m still taking it with me,” Peter insisted. “I can protect it better.”

“Fine.” Tony gave up and ordered FRIDAY to get the car moving. “But you’re sure you’re okay with this? If it makes you even a tiny bit uncomfortable…”

“No, I’m good, Mr. Stark. I was thinking about patrolling around here on schooldays anyway.”

“You did?”

“Yeah. And, I realized that maybe I don’t mind people knowing that I’m Spider-Man? Yesterday I really wanted to climb the walls of the library because it’s such a beautiful place. And, Kitty shared her powers with me, so I want to share mine with her too. I want to show my friends what I can do!”

“I see.” Tony nodded. The best way for the kid to come out as Spider-Man would be because he wanted to, not because he was about to get exposed. And, it was at times like these that he was reminded of Peter’s age. He simply wanted to use his powers because he felt like it and because he wanted to make new friends. He himself never got to feel that way with the whole Iron Man gig, but apparently Charles was right (like he usually was). Superpowers were a gift, not a curse.

“And, I grew up watching you. So maybe someone will grow up watching me too? It might help them on bad days…” Peter added, in case his first argument wasn’t enough.

Tony poked Peter in the cheek with his giant Iron Man finger and gave him a smile. “So you’re going to tell your new friends?”

Peter shook his head. “I think I have a better way. Tomorrow’s special class is ‘civilian evacuation strategy’ and the new student gets to choose a specific scenario.”

“And, you’re going to choose a scenario that Spider-Man was actually in.” Tony liked how Peter thought.

“Yeah, I’m going to bring up the Washington Monument disaster and use my own words to tell the class what happened that day.”

Tony rubbed his chin. “Okay. That’s a good idea, but that’s tomorrow. People will start talking after they see us together _today_. I don’t want you to freak out when social media goes crazy or some news outlet finds out about your identity.”

Peter shrugged. He had to be brave about this. “We both know it’s coming out sooner than later, right? And, bad guys are always going to come after me. Plus, Professor said that he’d deal with anything that comes up on his radar and you said…”

“That I’ll take care of any suspicious activities online,” Tony vowed once more.

“Exactly! I think I’m pretty well-covered if you ask me.” Peter gave him a little smile. “I can think of tons of worse scenarios than this.”

“Well, whatever happens, you’re not alone.” Tony patted Peter on the head and put on his helmet. “Let’s check out our new neighborhood, shall we?”

 

Tony sighed as he headed for the ground for what felt like the tenth time in the past hour. Peter kept taking breaks to take pictures with fans or to pat cats and dogs. The kid was currently signing autographs for a bunch of old ladies, so he quietly landed outside their line of sight. Old ladies scared him. He had seen with his own eyes all the things that they could do with a walking stick and a pair of knitting needles.

“FRIDAY, can you pull up any document I need to take care of tomorrow? I might as well get some work done.”

FRIDAY: “Here you go, sir.”

Tony felt ridiculous reading a document while standing inside his suit, but time was always precious. He thought about rushing the kid along, but the more breaks Peter took, the less chance he got hurt. They were not in a dangerous neighborhood, but he believed that Peter had the astounding ability to get into trouble regardless of his surroundings.

So far, they had helped a truck driver, a little boy, and a delivery drone. The truck driver had been moving chickens when they had decided to escape from their cages. It had been like the film ‘Chicken Run’. He hadn’t seen it, but he remembered the poster. Chickens had been running everywhere and the poor driver had been getting pecked by a particularly aggressive hen. So it had been up to Peter and him to gather all the chickens before they became road kill or fled towards freedom. Peter had webs, so he could just web them up. But Iron Man didn’t have any webs and he couldn’t exactly fry the chickens, so he had flied around to catch them with his hands. It hadn’t been his best moment, but the driver had promised to send over two fried chickens for dinner.

Saving the little boy was a much better story to tell. They had been passing through a quiet neighborhood when Peter’s ears had picked up a small sound of pain. KAREN had tracked the sound to the backyard of a small house where there had been a little boy sitting under the tree, holding his right ankle. A beagle had barked at them, but Peter had patted its head and it had showed him its belly. It had looked like the boy had fallen from the tree while trying to retrieve the Frisbee. While Peter had gotten some real practice bandaging the boy’s ankle, he had flown up the tree to get the Frisbee. He had also played with the dog until Peter was sure that the bandage wasn’t too tight. They had gotten dog saliva on their mask and helmet and two pieces of candy for their trouble.

Then there was a delivery drone that kept banging into the traffic lights at an intersection. It had been easy to fix it since he always carried a few tools in his suit in case it malfunctioned. But what hadn’t been easy were the people who had gathered around and had looked at him in awe. He hadn’t just seen curiosity in their eyes; they actually looked up to him and seemed to think the best of him. It had been a while since he had met fans as Iron Man and it had shaken him a little. They had gotten a heartwarming round of applause as they left the scene and he felt like he could still hear it.

“Mr. Stark, we’re done here,” Peter told him as he waved at the fans. It was amazing to think that he could make people happy just by writing his name on a piece of paper. He shot out a long web and swung, eager to keep up with Iron Man’s pace. It had only been an hour or so, but he was enjoying every single second of it. Iron Man looked awesome flying through the air and he loved how Mr. Stark kept an eye on him at all times. He didn’t feel watched or supervised. He was safe and loved, and helping people. “Urgh, I’m running out of houses, Mr. Stark. Do you think I could hitch a ride?”

“Sure. Shoot a web and hang tight.”

Peter nodded and aimed for the Iron Man suit.

_Thwip._

Tony looked down and grumbled. “Seriously? You had to go for my ass?”

Peter laughed at the unimpressed voice. “The butt plate is one of the biggest plates and it’s…”

“Mr. Parker, did you just call my ass _fat_?” Tony flew higher and higher before he zigzagged so that his passenger would swing from side to side. Sadly, it only made him giggle. “I could just drop you and go about my business.”

Peter giggled even more. “But you’re going to catch me, right?”

“Might I remind you that your suit has a fully functioning parachute? You can take your chances with… Oh, shit! Peter!!”

Tony raced towards the ground to catch the falling boy. “Peter!!!” Why was the kid so still? He caught him in his arms and flew back up. Was the boy okay? He was about to check with KAREN when a happy voice interrupted him.

“See? I told you. You’re going to catch me. Thanks for proving me right, Mr. Stark.”

Tony needed a moment for things to sink in before he gritted his teeth. “Did you just test me? By putting yourself in harm’s way?”

“But I wasn’t in any danger! Like you said, I have a parachute! And, if I didn’t have time to open it, I could’ve just shot a web at you.”

Tony knew that Peter was right, but his stomach had plummeted for a few seconds. So he dropped Peter for real this time. The little punk totally deserved it.

“Ahhh!! I’m sorry, Mr. Stark!” Peter shot a web at his mentor and hung onto it. “I’m sorry! I won’t do that again!”

“I can’t hear you.” Tony flew faster.

“I’M SORRY!” Peter yelled. He made a seat out of a web grenade and attached it to Iron Man’s ass. He made the web extra thick so that it would take some effort for Mr. Stark to get rid of it. Then he sat back comfortably and enjoyed the view. They were flying too high to look for bad guys on the ground, but he didn’t mind a joint _flight_ with Iron Man either. He decided to test the waters and see if Mr. Stark was still mad at him. “So, does this flight offer any kind of entertainment…?”

“You want entertainment?” Tony’s voice was still hard.

“Uh, nope. I think I’m good, thanks.” Peter wondered if he had gone too far with his prank. When he had first met Mr. Stark, all he had wanted was to impress him and to look like an adult. But over the past few days, he had realized that no matter how old he became, he was always going to be a kid in Mr. Stark’s eyes. And, now that he wasn’t trying too hard, he found himself being more like a child around his hero. “Mr. Stark…?”

“Yes, kid.” Tony sighed. What was the point of staying angry at a fifteen year old punk?

“I will always catch you too,” Peter vowed. “I’ll find a way to support your heavy ass and…”

“Oh, shut it.” Tony flew faster, ignoring the kid’s laughter. He just hoped that nobody took pictures of him with a Spiderling dangling from his ass.

 

Tony flew around leisurely with no particular destination in mind. Peter had been singing for a while and he hated to admit that it was soothing; he had a nice voice and he sang with his heart. They had left the city quite some time ago and were now flying over fields. He had still ordered FRIDAY to look out for any suspicious activities because bad guys could be keeping bad things in a remote warehouse.

“We’re landing?” Peter asked as he felt them heading down.

“Yeah. We’re going to do something fun,” Tony announced and landed next to a small stream that flowed through a grassy field. In the book ‘Parenting in the 21st century’, the author insisted that it was important to teach a child how to connect with nature. The expert pointed out that kids these days were obsessed with digital gadgets and argued that a balance between nature and technology would go a long way towards leading a healthy life.

“What are we going to do?” Peter jumped to the ground and took off his mask. He watched with dreamy eyes as Mr. Stark walked out of his suit, dripping with majesty and charisma.

“Give me two sheets of paper, will you?” Tony sat down on the grass and took a look at the stream. It was narrow and flowing quite slowly. It was also shallow, but it didn’t look like there were too many rocks near the surface. It was perfect for a paper boat race.

Peter pulled out a notebook from his backpack and tore out two sheets.

“Do you know how to make a paper boat?” Tony asked and saw the kid’s eyes light up.

“I do! May used to do origami. Are we doing a race?” Peter handed over a sheet of paper and kept the other one for himself.

“That’s right. Do you need any pointers to improve your design?” Tony asked as he started to fold the paper. He was going to begin with a simple design and build up from there.

“No thanks. I have a few ideas already.” Peter got a pair of scissors and glue out of his backpack. “See how it was a great idea to bring my backpack with me?”

Tony laughed. “Yeah, I see that now. Good thinking. Now let’s see if you can make a boat that can come anywhere near mine.”

Tony finished folding his sailboat and borrowed a couple of pens. The boat could use more stability, so the pens got to take a ride. Meanwhile, Peter cut out two pieces of the back cover of his notebook and glued them to each side of his boat. He wished that he had wax so that the boat wouldn’t get wet too quickly, but it was the same condition for the both of them.

“I bought all of these for your studies and look what we’re doing.” Tony chuckled. He knew that they were a few years too late to be excited about this kind of activity, but it was better late than never.

“I’m sure this could teach me a few things about engineering and physics.” Peter got up to mark the starting line and the finish line with stones.

“Let’s hope so. Okay, race no.1.” Tony floated his boat at the starting line and waited for Peter to do the same. “Any last words before you go down?”

Peter laughed. “Let it be known that the great Tony Stark was so cocky before he lost to a teenager.”

Tony huffed. “I’m going to make you eat those words.”

The first few races went to Tony because he took the direction of the wind and the water flow into account while Peter just blew his boat from behind as much as possible. Then Peter won the next race after figuring out a way to blow more efficiently. After that, it was pure madness as they consulted FRIDAY and KAREN respectively to get tips on improving their designs. Paper boats soon became paper ships and they colored their ships to give them character. Tony even pulled out his tools and started naming his ships ‘Unbeatable I’, ‘Unbeatable II’, and so on.

Peter found the names of his opponent’s boats rather lame. He had named his boat ‘Usain Boat’ and thought that he should get extra points for such a brilliant name. He took a good look at the designs that Mr. Stark had come up with. Mr. Stark was using one of his notebooks to draw his designs. Some of them looked far too complicated to be made out of paper, but there was a reason why he was a world-class engineer. Mr. Stark never thought that something was impossible and he never gave up. He had never thought that this could be so much fun, but here they were, giggling all over the place, scaring a few rabbits nearby.

“Tell you what, why don’t we build a life-size paper boat sometime? You and me against Rhodey and Vision.” Tony thought about his friends with a smile.

“Oh my god, that’s the best idea ever! I love racing against you, Mr. Stark, but I’d love it more if we were on the same team!” Peter could already picture the two of them sailing towards the finish line as victorious as ever. He would also get a cool ocean story like Silver and Darwin.

“Okay, one last race and I’m going to teach you how to read a tree’s annual rings.”

“You know how to do that?” Peter’s eyes grew wide.

“I’m a man of many skills, Peter. And, let me tell you, the science that lies in nature is the best kind.”

They finished their last race and Peter wasn’t disappointed at all to declare Mr. Stark as the worthy winner. He had been up against a formidable opponent and he had fought as hard as he could. Besides, he had laughed so much and had learned a lot about efficient boat designs. He hoped that he’d get to build a few boats out of Mr. Stark’s unused designs and test them in the bathtub sometime.

Peter had completely forgotten about patrolling or fancy boat designs by the time Mr. Stark found a tree stump. Mr. Stark showed him how to tell a tree’s age and how to guess the type of climate the tree had once lived in. He wondered if there was anything that Mr. Stark didn’t know. Happy had told him that Mr. Stark had once studied enough of thermonuclear astrophysics overnight to pitch a useful idea to the rest of the Avengers. The man’s brilliance and awesomeness clearly knew no limits.

Peter sighed happily as he walked around, enjoying the scenery. He breathed deeply and filled his lungs with fresh air. He rubbed his cheek against tree leaves and let their softness bring a smile to his face. A dandelion puff tickled his nose while floating by and made him sneeze. “Atchoo!” He was a city boy, but he acknowledged nature’s charm. And, of course, everything felt infinitely better when Mr. Stark was there with him.

“Look, Mr. Stark!” Peter pointed at the sun setting over the horizon. “It’s your colors. Red and Gold!”

Tony ruffled the kid’s hair with a laugh. “Yes, they are. They’re the best colors, if you ask me.”

Peter beamed as he took a picture with his phone and sent it to May. The sunset looked particularly wonderful today.

“That’s a good idea. I’m going to send one to Rhodey.” Tony took a picture as well. While a lot of things and people were keeping him occupied, he missed his dear old friend.

“So what now?” Peter wished that this day would never come to an end. He felt like he was doing things with Mr. Stark that other boys did with their dads.

“Now we go home and have dinner. Fried chicken, remember?” Tony summoned his suit with his watch.

“Already?” Peter couldn’t hide the disappointment in his voice. “Can’t we stay just a little bit longer? Please?”

Tony swallowed his sigh. How could he ever say no to the kid? “Fine. We’re going to do something so boring that you’re going to beg me to fly us home in less than ten minutes.” He smirked, well aware of a teenager’s attention span.

“Is that a challenge?” Peter held his chin up high. “I think I’ve been enjoying all these old-school activities just fine.”

“Well then, how about we look for four-leafed clovers? It can’t get any more old-school than that,” Tony suggested.

“Okay! They’re for good luck, right?” Peter was already looking around for a good spot to start.

“Yes, they are. We could always use more luck.” Tony directed the kid back to the grassy field where rabbits had been munching on white clover.

“How many do you think we could find?” Peter asked as he kneeled on the grass. He could only see a lot of three-leafed ones. “What if there aren’t any?”

“Never lose hope, Peter,” Tony answered as he sat down cross-legged. “There’s got to be at least a few. We’re practically sitting in a clover field.”

Peter hoped that his enhanced eyesight would get him at least one four-leafed clover. He wanted to give it to Mr. Stark. And, if he managed to find another one, he wanted to give it to May. And, if he found yet another one, that one would go to Happy. He had gotten so much love and support from them and he wished that he could give them something in return even if it was a small symbol of luck.

“Got one,” Tony said cheerfully and showed it to the kid. “You know, these are like mutants of the clover world. I guess they’re growing in numbers these days.”

“Maybe it’s part of the evolution…” Peter didn’t want to sound like a mutant supremacist, but from a biological point of view, being a mutant could mean having a much better chance of survival.

“Maybe it is,” Tony agreed easily and focused on his search. He hoped that he could find a few more so that he could give them to Peter. The kid was going to reveal his secret identity in school tomorrow and perhaps some clovers would help him even a little bit. He personally didn’t think that clovers could bring any luck, but if Peter believed it, he was going to get some.

Luckily (yes, Tony had noticed the irony), Tony had found half a dozen four-leafed clovers by the time he decided to call it a day. “Here,” he handed them over to the kid.

“No thanks, Mr. Stark. You go on way more dangerous missions than I do. Please keep them. And, I want you to take mine too.” Peter quickly webbed up the clovers except for two which were for May and Happy.

“Peter, you have a big thing coming up tomorrow. Everything’s going to be all right, but you need them more than I do.”

“Then I’ll take one. But you’re taking the rest.” Peter pulled one clover out of the webbed cocoon and ran towards the Iron Man suit. He put the rest of the clovers in the small compartment that usually carried blueberries.

“Peter…” Tony couldn’t just accept them. “I’m supposed to look out for you.”

“You do look out for me! I just want to return the favor.” Peter smiled and pushed the compartment back into place.

Tony wanted to argue, but he was getting hungry. And, if _he_ was getting hungry, Peter was probably hungrier. “Thanks, kid. I’m going to be the luckiest man in the world.”

“No problem!” Peter grinned until his stomach growled. “Oops…”

Tony chuckled and walked into his suit. “Don’t worry. I have blueberries.”

“Blueberries? But I thought _that_ was the berry compartment.” Peter pointed at the one that carried the clovers with a confused look on his face.

“That was _a_ berry compartment,” Tony corrected him and activated his suit. “Let’s head back home, shall we? It’s getting chilly, so turn on the heater.”

Peter made a new seat with his webs and did as he was told. Throughout the flight, his right hand held onto blueberries while his left hand held onto the lucky clover that Mr. Stark had given him. He wasn’t too worried about what was going to happen tomorrow. Everything was going to be all right. Mr. Stark had said so.

 


	7. Today’s problem: The secret is out (Part I)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter is ready to let his new friends know about his big secret. Meanwhile Tony isn't ready at all to tell Peter about his own tiny secret. It's not even a secret, but it turns out that he was right to worry.

  
_In the previous chapter…_

Tony and Peter had gone on a joint patrol around upstate New York. They had saved a truck driver, a little boy, and a delivery drone before immersing themselves in paper boat races and the search for four-leafed clovers. Peter had told Mr. Stark that he was planning to reveal his secret identity in his ‘civilian evacuation strategy’ class by choosing a real-life scenario that Spider-Man had taken part in; the Washington Monument disaster.

 

“Bwhahaha…” Peter burst into laughter while he scrolled through his Stark phone at the breakfast table.

“What?” Tony grumbled in his PJs as he glared at his egg benedict. “Another headline about ‘Iron Man-ny’?”

“Ahahaha… ‘Iron Manny’ was gold!” Peter laughed into his croque monsieur. “But I like this one too. ‘Iron Man infects Spider-Man with his blueberry fever.’”

“Hey! There’s nothing wrong with enjoying a few blueberries. I’ll have you know that blueberries are…”

“The granddad of superfoods!” Peter finished Mr. Stark’s sentence. He didn’t want another comprehensive lecture about blueberries. “They’re low in calories but high in vitamin K. They also contain vitamin C, manganese, fibre, and other antioxidants.”

“That’s right. I taught you well.” Tony took a sip of coffee from his ‘You’ mug. “And, why else do they think I look so young and pretty?”

Peter laughed as Mr. Stark framed his own face with his hands and batted his eyelashes. “I like blueberries too, Mr. Stark. I was just laughing at the word ‘infection’, hehe…”

Peter drank his pomegranate juice which was also one of the superfoods. Ever since he had moved upstate, he had been eating very well. Mr. Stark had a couple of chefs who made him food whenever he wanted and the facility had a cafeteria that served high-quality dishes. Mr. Stark had been encouraging him to try out all the dishes that he had never had before, and the deep, colorful tastes had been blessing his sensitive taste buds.

Today’s excellent breakfast had been cooked by Jerry and had been delivered by Dum-E. As usual, Mr. Stark had scolded the poor robot for taking so long, but also as usual, he had defended his new friend. The other chef was called Tom, and he had a sneaking suspicion that Mr. Stark had deliberately looked for chefs with such names so that he could call them ‘Tom and Jerry’. When he had run this theory by FRIDAY, the A.I. had told him that she could neither confirm nor deny it. That was as good as an affirmative answer. Oh, Mr. Stark…

Peter moved onto his croque madame as he watched Mr. Stark read the news on his Stark pad. May was going to move in tomorrow evening, so he was supposed to move out of Mr. Stark’s guest room tomorrow afternoon. He had a big day coming up since the ‘civilian evacuation strategy’ class was today, but he felt like today was going to be a good day. The problem was tomorrow. He just didn’t think that tomorrow could be anything other than devastating. Sure, he was glad to see Aunt May after a whole week, but he could already feel the pain that would spread in his heart as he walked off Mr. Stark’s floor with his belongings. The boxes would feel heavy even though he could easily carry the load of a bus.

“Tell me. Is it Monsieur or Madame who’s responsible for that sad face? Do I need to _grill_ Jerry?” Tony chuckled as he popped a cherry tomato into his mouth. “You see, it’s funny because he’s a cook that actually uses a grill.”

“Yeah, I get it…! Great joke, haha…” Peter tried his best to laugh along, but he just wasn’t feeling it.

“Talk to me, kid.” Tony put his hand on Peter’s wrist. All the parenting books had emphasized the importance of providing reassurance through physical contact. “Is it about today? And, don’t even think about lying to my face because FRIDAY’s analyzing your micro-expressions as we speak.”

Peter gulped. Mr. Stark’s tone was gentle, but there was apparently no room for white lies. “No, it’s not about today.”

Tony looked surprised. “Then what is it? Girl trouble? Boy trouble? Boy and girl trouble?”

Peter shook his head. That was another issue that he didn’t want to talk about. “There is no boy or girl, Mr. Stark.”

“Ah, still at the stage of denial.” Tony patted Peter on the wrist.

“There really isn’t anyone! You know I’ve only been in this school for a few days,” Peter groaned.

Tony held up a finger. “Attraction has nothing to do with the length of exposure to that specific organism.”

Peter had to giggle. “You make it sound like you’re talking about germs, Mr. Stark.”

“It got you laughing, didn’t it?” Tony gave him a wink. He wanted to wait for the kid to tell him in his own good time, but alas, patience had never been his strong suit. So he abandoned his Stark pad and kept staring at the boy.

“Okay, okay. I’ll talk.” Peter sighed. “Just stop looking at me like that with your big puppy eyes.”

“Puppy eyes?” Tony was horrified. He had always thought his eyes were as sharp as a hawk’s. He thought that his eyes were even hawk-ier than Hawkeye’s. “You’re the one with puppy eyes, kid, not me.”

“No way. It’s you, Mr. Stark.”

“Nuh-uh. It’s you!” Tony insisted. “You’re the puppiest puppy that has ever puppied in the long history of puppied puppies.”

Peter sighed again. He was going to miss these banters so much. It wasn’t like Mr. Stark was going anywhere, but he knew very well that he had taken a lot of his time and that the man had his own life. He assumed that Mr. Stark would go back to his usual routine once May arrived and relieved him of his duty. “Mr. Stark, do you think I could come over for breakfast on Saturday?” He might be able to deal with the heartbreak a little bit better if he could still have breakfasts with his hero on weekends.

Tony wondered if the question had anything to do with whatever was bugging the boy. It was a real shame that he couldn’t give Peter the answer that he wanted. “Sorry, kid. I’ll be out of the country by then.”

Peter dropped his fork. He bit his lip as his heart tumbled to the floor. “Out of the country…? Where are you going? When are you leaving? For how long?!”

Tony felt his heart crack open. This was exactly why he hadn’t been able to tell the kid about his upcoming business trip. He remembered his own dad going on a business trip when he was four. His folks and Jarvis had told him that his dad was going to come back, but he had thought that they were all lying for his sake. He had thought that he was never going to see him again and had cried his little heart out at the airport. Of course, Peter wasn’t four and he was obviously coming back, but business trips were evil for traumatizing so many kids.

Tony got up and moved to the other side of the kitchen island. He sat down next to Peter and held his hand. “Listen, Peter. I’ll only be gone for a week.”

“A week!? Are we talking six days or seven days?”

“Seven days. I’m leaving tomorrow night for Beijing and I’ll be back next Friday.”

Peter pulled his hand out of Mr. Stark’s grip. He knew that he was being childish and irrational, but he couldn’t help it. His eyes had started to sting and everything sucked. He had been given the whole world and now it was being taken away from him.

Tony slowly rubbed the kid’s back. “You know how time flies, right? You’ll be in Queens this weekend and I’m sure school and patrols will keep you busy. I’ll be back with lots of presents before you know it.”

“I don’t need any presents! You already gave me everything I need!” Peter swallowed his tears as he held onto the hem of his T-shirt with trembling hands. “I’m sorry, Mr. Stark. I didn’t think I’d react like this. I just never thought you might go on business trips…”

“It’s okay. Nobody’s judging here.” Tony carefully pulled Peter into his arms. “I’m going to call you every single day, okay?”

Peter nodded fiercely. Perhaps it was the right time to tell his new school about Spider-Man after all. Perhaps he would be too busy dealing with the aftermath to miss Mr. Stark too much. “I was sad earlier because we’re not going to live together anymore. But now that I hear you’ll be gone for a full week…”

Tony hugged him tighter. He wished that he could take Peter with him, but no, school was important. Besides, this wasn’t just any school; it was Charles’. He was one of the few people who knew just how much work Charles put in day in and day out. A week in that school would be far more beneficial to Peter than a week in China.

FRIDAY: Excuse me, sir. But I have an Unhappy Hogan downstairs who’s asking me if Peter’s planning to join him anytime soon.

“Tell him Peter needs ten more minutes,” Tony ordered and kissed the top of the kid’s head. “Good luck today. We’ll deal with tomorrow’s problems tomorrow, okay?”

“Okay, Mr. Stark. Have a good day.”

“You too, kid.” Tony picked up his Stark pad and left the kitchen with a heavy heart.

Peter got up too and dragged his feet to the guest bathroom. He used his super speed to brush his teeth, comb his hair, and change out of his sleepwear. He checked the contents of his backpack and tiptoed over to Mr. Stark’s bedroom. The water was running, so the man must be in the shower. He didn’t want to be a creepy fanboy, but he needed something for comfort. So he pushed his nose into Mr. Stark’s pillow and breathed in his scent. Mr. Stark was right; he was a puppy who was about to be separated with his master.

 

“Wow, this is amazing!” Peter smiled as he checked different angles of his face in Kitty’s hand mirror. He realized that he was feeling much better than this morning. His awesome friends had noticed the gray cloud hanging over his head and had entertained him at every opportunity. Kurt had juggled five Ping-Pong balls with his hands and tail, and Silver had rapped an Eminem song for him. Jubilee had showed him all the funny faces that worked best with the youngest students and Kitty had done a card trick that had blown his mind.

He was now in an empty classroom, looking positively terrifying. He and his friends were trying to recreate Pennywise’s look from the movie ‘It’. They had just come back from lunch and had split into two teams. He was on Team Penny with Kitty and Silver while Jubilee, Kurt, and Jean were on Team Wise. Kitty and Jubilee were the ones wielding their makeup brushes and the rest had to smile as scarily as possible for the camera. They were going to post the four pictures on their school Facebook page and set up a vote. The voting would go on for forty-eight hours and the losing team would have to be faithful servants to the winning team for a week.

“Hold still, please. I’m not done yet.” Kitty held Peter’s chin so that he would stop moving. Putting makeup on Peter’s face was both dreamy and challenging. While she was thrilled to have a good reason to check him out from this close, she was pretty sure that Silver was seething with jealousy. But this whole thing had been his idea in the first place! The gang -minus Peter and plus a few others- had gone to the local cinema last evening and had watched ‘It’. Silver had been there too since his mother had been working late and he had come up with this brilliant idea.

Peter tried not to blush as Kitty used the tip of her finger to fix the lipstick at the corner of his mouth. He loved how Kitty was handling his face so gently, but at the same time, he couldn’t wait for the makeup to be over. He could feel Silver bore a hole through the side of his face and there were only so many awkward smiles that he could give him. Was Silver jealous? Kitty did touch his face a lot…

Silver rolled his eyes as he saw Peter blush yet again. Was Peter’s face malfunctioning? Why else would he blush every five seconds? Getting your makeup done wasn’t exactly an intimate experience. And, what was up with Kitty? Had she suddenly lost nearly all of her eyesight? Her face had stayed nice and far away from his when she had done _his_ makeup, but now that she was doing Peter’s, she had to get all up close and personal. “I think he’s ready, Kit. If you put on any more, he’ll need even more time to get it off. We don’t have _that_ much time.”

“Fine.” Kitty coughed a little in embarrassment. “Time for pictures then.” She grabbed her phone while the boys tried to find a spot near the windows where the sunlight would hit them just right.

“We’re so winning this!” Silver raised his voice so that it would carry over the curtains that were floating in the middle of the classroom. Jean was holding them up with telekinesis so that both teams could have some privacy. “I already look like Bill Skarsgård and I bet Peter has a secret dark side that nobody’s seen yet.”

“A secret side? Me?” Peter put his hands on his cheeks and made a funny shocked face, sending Silver and Kitty into fits of giggles. He wondered if anyone other than Jean knew just how close Silver’s words had hit home.

Kitty took several pictures of her teammates giving their best performances as Pennywise. Silver gave her his coldest lopsided grin while Peter tried to make his scary eyes look as big as possible. Kitty thought that Silver looked much more evil, compared to Peter’s puppy face. It would’ve been cute in any other circumstances, but it was a huge problem right now. “Hmm, Peter, I think we’ll have to do better than this. Come take a look.”

Peter checked the pictures and nodded. “Yeah, I need to step up my game.” He was about to ask Silver for tips when the curtains dropped. Jean smiled wickedly with her heavily made-up face. She let her long brown hair slowly rise in the air until the strands were fully stretched towards the ceiling and dropped a few strands in front of her face.

“Ahhhhh!” Peter and Silver clutched at each other in fear.

Then the curtains reattached themselves to the windows and plunged the classroom into darkness. Kurt turned on his flashlight and put it under his face before using his tail to scratch his chin. He grinned at the terrified boys as if he wanted to poke their delicious skin with his pointy tail.

“Don’t look at us like that!” Silver yelled as he put his hand over Peter’s eyes. “You’re supposed to take pictures, not scare the living shit out of us!”

Jubilee chuckled as she sensed victory coming their way. It had been her idea to leave patches of blue skin on Kurt’s face that made him look doubly horrifying and it had been Kurt’s idea to have Jean’s hair rise dramatically. And, it had been Jean’s idea to use a flashlight and curtains to get the drop on their opponents. What a wonderful team they made!

“You guys okay?” Kitty asked as soon as Jean had put the curtains back up in the middle of the classroom.

“Yeah,” Peter answered as he tried to regain some decency. “What about you? Are you okay?”

Kitty snorted. “I’m very okay. I can’t believe you guys are a couple of chickens.” But then, she remembered that Warren had shielded Sean with one wing and Silver with the other in the cinema last night. What was the deal with Peter though? If he was Spider-Man, he surely wouldn’t get scared that easily…

“We’re getting our asses kicked,” Silver groaned as he flopped down into a chair. “Should we think props too?”

“Yeah, I think so,” Peter answered. He just didn’t know what to use. Perhaps he could make a paper boat? It was the prop that had led the poor child to Pennywise in the movie.

“Hmm, I think I saw an eye patch in Charles’ office.” Silver rubbed his chin. He jumped up and pulled down his goggles. “I’ll be right back.”

“Why would the professor have an eye patch? Lazy eye?” Peter asked as he tore a sheet of paper from his notebook.

“No, his eyes are fine,” Kitty whispered. “But Silver thinks that the professor’s kinkier than we think. Maybe he’s right.”

“So what? You think he plays a pirate in bed?” Peter whispered back and saw Kitty nod her pretty head. “With whom? Magneto?”

Kitty nodded again. “I hope Erik’s the pirate. It’s difficult to picture the professor as a cold-hearted bastard.”

“Maybe he’s a great actor,” Peter put in his two cents while he folded his paper boat.

“Yeah, maybe…” Kitty thought for a moment before asking, “Do you like to dress up too? Wear a costume perhaps?”

Peter kept his eyes on the boat. There was no way that she was asking if he liked role playing in bed. He was only fifteen. That meant that she was asking if he honored the Halloween tradition or she was trying to figure out if he was a superhero that wore a costume. Wait… a costume? “Oh my god!”

“What is it?” Kitty was alarmed. Peter’s face was about to crack with his worryingly wide smile. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing! I just got the best idea! Thank you!” Peter took a deep breath. This was it. He had an ace in the hole, a secret weapon! If he took the picture with the Spider-Man mask covering the top half of his face, he could help his team win! It would also spare him the misery of having to wait a couple more hours for the ‘civilian evacuation strategy’ class. Patience had never been his strong suit and he felt like he had suffered enough all morning.

Silver had just jogged back when the weird scene played before his eyes. Kitty was gasping with her hands over her mouth and her eyes were bulging out of her skull. And, Peter was holding a… Spider-Man mask. Holy shit! He ran towards Peter and touched the mask. He didn’t know anything about superhero masks, but it definitely didn’t look like a cheap one that came with Halloween costumes. He couldn’t even tell what kind of material had been used, and whatever system was behind those eyes looked incredibly sophisticated. Were the girls right then? Why else would Peter have such a mask? Jesus Christ! Was Spider-Man really in their school? Did he have Spider-Man’s phone number?? Was he crushing on an actual superhero???

“Hey, what’s up with you guys?” Jubilee asked from the other side of the curtain. “The silence is creeping us out.”

“Did you all faint?” Kurt giggled.

“I’m taking the curtains down,” Jean warned her friends as she sensed that something was off, but Kitty shouted, “Don’t! I’m not decent!” She wanted to give Peter a moment to put away the mask.

“What…?” Jubilee frowned. Kitty was with two boys in a classroom in the middle of a school day. She wasn’t that type of a girl. “Why not?”

Kitty shot Silver a desperate look. Silver was a year older and far sneakier than her. She needed his help.

“Her hair got caught on the zipper of her dress!” Silver lied as Kitty made a pained ‘Ow! Ack!’ sound next to him. Great acting, but why wasn’t Peter putting the mask away? He moved quickly and put it back inside his backpack for him.

“Where exactly is that zipper right now?” Jean asked suspiciously. She didn’t understand why Kitty would feel indecent when her hair would’ve been caught on a zipper that was usually at the top of the back of a dress.

“Do you need scissors?” Jubilee asked with worry. “Perhaps it’s easier to just cut the hair.”

“No thanks! I’m good now.” Kitty was about to relax when she saw that Peter had pulled out the mask again. Dear lord.

Peter chuckled as his mask kept disappearing into his bag in the blink of an eye. He was touched. If he had friends like these, he was going to be okay even if the secret was out. “Silver, you can stop now. Thanks for looking out for me, both of you, but I want to do this.”

“Do what?” Kurt asked. ‘Looking out for me?’ Was Peter in some kind of trouble?

Peter pulled down the curtains and Team Wise was met with him wearing a Spider-Man mask halfway down his face. Jubilee did not feel wise at all as she gasped into her hand and grabbed the back of a chair for support. She stood there gaping and blinking as Peter asked his teammates to take some pictures. She could see Comrade Kitty’s hands shake as she picked up her phone. In the end, Silver took the phone out of her grip and took the pictures himself. Holy Mary on a bouncy coconut! On one hand, they were so going to start that Spidey fan club! It might even be an official one! On the other hand, they were so going to lose and she would have to spend a week as a slave. She could only hope that she would get to be Peter’s.

Peter took off his mask and put it back in his bag. The silence was deafening and he felt everyone in the room watch his movements with the greatest attention.

_‘Are you sure about this?’_ Jean asked in his head. _‘If you’re having second thoughts, I can try to erase everyone’s memories. I’ve been practicing and Professor thinks I’m good to go.’_

Peter shook his head with a smile. _‘It’s okay, Jean, thanks. I was planning to let the secret out later today anyway.’_

He looked up at Kurt, hoping that he wouldn’t see hurt in his eyes. He had bonded with Kurt and he didn’t want his friend to think that he hadn’t been honest with him because he felt like he couldn’t trust him. “I’m sorry!” he croaked, struck with emotion. “I wanted to tell you that I could climb walls too, but…”

“It’s okay. I understand.” Kurt smiled and took a step forward to comfort him when the bell rang.

_Rrr-ring._

“Oh, hell…” Silver ran towards Kitty’s makeup box and grabbed a couple of cleansing tissues. He gently held Peter’s face and got the makeup off with quick and efficient strokes. He saw Kurt vanishing into thin air from the corner of his eyes, probably headed for the bathroom. Kitty and Jubilee were busy helping Jean while she put the curtains and everything else back in place with her power.

“All good!” Silver patted Peter on the cheek and handed him Kitty’s lotion. “Psst, Kitty! I still need a picture!”

“Oh, right! The eye patch!” Kitty flew over to her phone and took a couple of pictures.

Silver was sure that they’d win hands down even without his picture, but Kitty had put a lot of work into his makeup and he didn’t want to let it go to waste. (Well, he had scared Charles earlier and had gotten a good laugh over it, but still.)

Peter stood there putting lotion on his face, feeling wonderful. His friends hadn’t reacted badly, a little bit of weight had been lifted off his shoulders, and the lotion smelled great. He put down the lotion and the next thing he knew, he was sitting in biology class with his backpack on his desk. He was glad that he had been delivered to the right classroom. Silver’s power was absolutely amazing! He could usually tell before Silver zipped him through the air, but this time he must’ve moved extra quickly.

_Buzzz._

Peter pulled out his phone from the front pocket of his bag. Facebook had sent him a notification about a new post on the school page. His heart started to thump against his ribs as he checked the post. The pictures were up! His life in school was about to change! As the teacher came in, he crossed his fingers and hoped for the best.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1) The chapter was getting far too long, so I had to cut it in two. The second part should be up by next weekend.  
> 2) Fun fact: Tony's little tale about his dad's business trip is based on my own experience XD If I knew dad was going to come home, I wouldn't have cried that much!  
> 3) Thank you so much for all the love and support :D


	8. Today’s problem: The secret is out (Part II)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter and his close friends deal with the consequences of Peter revealing his secret identity right before the lunch break ended. Peter goes on and makes an official statement in front of the whole school. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late update! I had trouble wrapping it up. I feel like I'm apologizing every two chapters XD Thanks for your patience and support! <3

_  
In the previous chapter…_

At home, Peter had found out that Mr. Stark was going on a business trip for a week when he had already been devastated about leaving his guest room to join May on a whole different floor. At school, he had planned to reveal his secret identity during the ‘civilian evacuation strategy’ class, but he had spotted a better opportunity while recreating Pennywise’s look with his friends. He had taken the picture with the Spider-Man mask halfway down his face when the bell had rung.

 

Jubilee was sitting in class, using all of the meditation techniques that the school had taught her over the years. Breathing in and breathing out. Connecting herself to the center of the universe and absorbing all the colorful energy and urgh… Peter had dropped a bomb and had disappeared! He was in biology with Silver and Jean while she was stuck in geology with Kitty and Kurt. Geologically speaking, an earth-shattering event had occurred! The mountains were rising and the sea was whirling! And, the land of her mind was moving too quickly, which made it unsuitable for housing any of the knowledge that the teacher was trying to impart.

She replayed the scene in her head over and over again. Peter had apologized to Kurt and had told him that he could climb walls too. That was as good as admitting that he was Spider-Man. She didn’t need to wait until tomorrow’s yoga class to check out Peter’s butt. PETER WAS SPIDER-MAN. They had the same butt! Why did he have the mask in his schoolbag though? Had he brought the whole suit with him to school? Did he go on patrols right after class? Oh my god, Kitty was right then! Kitty had showed her a picture this morning where Spider-Man was wearing a backpack on his joint patrol with Iron-Man. The picture hadn’t showed the backpack clearly enough, but it had looked very much like Peter’s.

Jubilee’s hand shot out and caught Kurt’s tail that had been swinging from side to side in front of her. She understood his nervousness and excitement, but a long, blue tail moving like a metronome wasn’t helping anyone. Kurt turned around and gave her a sheepish smile. She nodded and smiled back. Then she grabbed Kitty’s right hand that had been bothering her in her peripheral vision. Kitty had been biting her fingernails, looking like a wrecked mess. Her friend shot her a look of pure agony and started to phase into her chair. They both liked geology, but the class couldn’t be over quickly enough. Peter had picked a great time to let the secret out.

Meanwhile, Jean was using her meditation techniques, two doors to the left, for a whole different reason. Silver had been pestering her every five minutes to check on Peter.

_‘He’s sitting right in front of you, Sil,’_ Jean groaned into his head. _‘Can’t you just run quickly and look him in the eyes and find your answer in there?’_

_‘That’s not the same as taking a look inside his mind!’_ Silver argued.

_‘They do say that the eyes are the windows to the soul,’_ Jean gave it another try.

Silver huffed. _‘Seriously, Jean! Nobody’s going to be completely fine after pulling something like that! And, I’m not asking you to pry any information out of him. I just want to know if he’s okay.’_

Jean sighed. _‘Well, I think he’s doing much better than ten minutes ago. And, if you must know, he’s planning to make it official in Civil Evac. Now leave me alone. I’m actually enjoying today’s lesson.’_

She hadn’t meant to listen in on Peter’s thoughts, but Peter was sitting right next to her and thinking very loudly. Of course, she could’ve blocked out his thoughts with her mental walls, but she was curious about how the whole thing was going to play out. She was also interested in the romantic angle. As if having one rival wasn’t enough, Kitty and Silver were going to get plenty of new rivals after today. She was so glad that nobody else knew the soft sides of her boyfriend Scott; competition seemed pretty exhausting. She sent Scott a mental hug and got the coziest feeling of affection in return. Ah, being loved was the best feeling in the world.

Silver was checking his phone under the desk, reading the few comments that had already been posted under the glamorous pictures. He hadn’t mentioned any names except for their team names, so there was no way of knowing that the boy with the Spider-Man mask was Peter. The other three were pretty recognizable. Kurt was the only blue boy with a tail and he was the only boy with silver hair in the school. And, Jean was the only girl with brown hair who could also lift her hair with her power.

That said, many students had already suspected Peter of being Spider-Man since he had showed up with Tony Stark. (Those who hadn’t thought of Spider-Man, including himself, had assumed that Peter was Stark’s illegitimate son.) Stark had told them that Peter was the brightest intern at Stark Industries, but who was he kidding? No CEO would show that much personal interest in a lowly intern. So Silver wasn’t really surprised when the comments read: ‘OMG!!!! Is this for real? Spidey’s in the house?’, ‘Is that Peter Parker by any chance…?’, ‘Thank god. Can we finally stop pretending that we don’t know about his deal?’

The individual who was at the center of this storm was actually calm enough to carry on with his biology lesson. But then, the eye of the storm was always the calmest. Peter was hanging on the teacher’s every word with twinkling eyes. He had become more partial to biology ever since he had gone through a huge biological change and they had a special lesson today. They were covering the works of the biologists who had won the Ig Nobel Prize in recent years. This year, a Japanese, Brazilian, and Swiss joint research team had won the prize for discovering a female penis and a male vagina in a cave insect. How fascinating!

Peter jotted down some points of interest in his notebook and smiled. He could hear Silver tap frantically on his phone right behind him. He was probably dealing with the comments on the school Facebook page, but he wanted his attention back on him. He was starting to realize that he quite liked having Silver’s eyes on him. Back in Queens, he had been the one staring at Liz and it felt very different being on the other side. He had no idea why someone so cool and good-looking like Silver would be interested in him, but he wasn’t complaining. He was also feeling bold and powerful, now that they had established that he was Spider-Man. Peter Parker might not be that cool, but he’d like to think that Spider-Man was. So he pushed his chair back a little and moved his right foot back as much as he could.

Silver nearly dropped his phone as Peter’s foot nudged his own again. At first, he had thought that it was an accident so he had moved his foot a little to the side. But Peter’s foot had followed and was currently rubbing the front of his shoe. What was going on? Were they playing footsies in the middle of a class? What had happened to the shy Peter who blushed all the time? Was he channeling his inner Spider-Man right now? He moved his foot out of the way and put away his phone too. While he appreciated Peter initiating contact, this was neither the time nor the place.

Peter felt his shoulders droop when he couldn’t find Silver’s foot anywhere near his own. What had he been thinking? Of course it had been inappropriate to do something like that in class. Besides, they hadn’t even held hands… or had done anything else for that matter. He sighed at his careless behavior and picked up his pen. It was time to focus on the lesson again. That was when he thought that he felt a pair of lips on his right cheek. He touched the spot on his cheek before whipping his head back. Had Silver just kissed him?

Silver flashed Peter a cheeky grin. Perhaps he had moved a little too fast? He tried to slow down a little bit more as he got out of his seat to kiss Peter on the cheek again. This time, Peter had definitely felt it. He could see it in the boy’s eyes and he soon got a note that read: <33333\. Geez, that was a lot of kisses! Was Spider-Man clingy? He supposed that it would make sense since his weapon of choice was sticky webs. He snickered at his own joke and folded the note before putting it in the front pocket of his jacket, right above his heart. He couldn’t keep the grin off his face as he finally paid attention to what was happening in the world of biology.

 

Charles was sitting on a tree stump in the school backyard with a fond smile on his face. He welcomed each and every one who showed up with a warm wave of joy and love. Today’s civilian evacuation strategy class was going to be special. He had summoned Peter to his office during the ten minute break and had discussed his plans for the big revelation. His brave new student had wanted to make a proper statement in front of everyone, so all of the students, teachers, and staff had been invited. Even a few squirrels and birds were present.

It was lovely to feel the excitement and curiosity in his people’s minds. The loss of Raven, Angel, Pyro, and a few others to Erik’s Brotherhood had taken its toll, so a new student had naturally been a breath of fresh air. But Peter wasn’t just any new student and Charles thanked Tony for sending his protégé at the perfect time. He sent Kitty and Jubilee a bigger mental wave to soothe their nerves so that they could breathe a little more easily. Then he checked the perimeter one last time to make sure that no outsiders were going to get a peek at Peter’s secret.

Meanwhile, Peter was taking a deep breath as he looked in the bathroom mirror. He had put on the Spider-Man suit and was holding the mask in his hands. He was alone while everyone else was waiting for him outside. He tried a fist pump and told himself, “Come on, Peter. You can do this! You fight bad guys all the time! These people are on your side! There’s no need to be _this_ nervous.”

Unfortunately, that didn’t quite do the trick, but he got a brilliant idea. He could ask Silver to record it and hand it to Mr. Stark. It could serve as an interview tape for the Avengers to prove that he could deal with people and their many questions. He thought about Mr. Stark declaring to the world that he was Iron Man. Mr. Stark had dominated that press conference, looking charming and important as usual. He was so glad that he could now tell people everything about Mr. Stark! He didn’t have to pretend anymore that he didn’t know the man that well. His close friends seemed to suspect that he was much closer to Mr. Stark than he was letting on, but the rest of the school probably believed that he was just an intern at Stark Industries. So yes, this moment right now was going to help him become an Avenger. That was all he needed to remember to walk out of the building with his chin held up high.

Kitty grabbed Jubilee’s arm as she spotted Peter walking out in his Spider-Man suit with the mask in his hand. She let out a squeal of delight as her fangirling dreams came true. A buzz of excitement ran through the crowd, but thankfully, nobody held up their phone to take pictures; the Professor had reminded them that Peter wasn’t a monkey in a zoo. She gave Peter two thumbs up when he chanced a glance at her. She was sitting in the front row with her comrades, ready to start the fan club and recruit members as soon as the class ended.

“Hi, everyone. I’m Peter Parker.” Peter smiled awkwardly as he stood next to Charles. “Thanks for coming out! Well, I’m the one who’s coming out, but anyway…”

Charles tickled everyone’s mind and got them to laugh. He had also started streaming the event into Iron Manny’s head with both audio and video.

“As you must’ve guessed by now, I’m Spider-Man.” Peter squared his shoulders and waited for the crowd to settle down. “Sorry for not telling you right away, but I thought I wanted to keep it a secret. Ever since I got my powers, I thought I had to deal with it alone. I didn’t know anyone else who had superpowers and I didn’t want to worry my aunt.” He looked at Kurt and got an encouraging smile. “Even when Mr. Stark found me, I was worried that coming out as Spider-Man would lead to bad guys coming after me. But they’re always going to be a part of my life anyway and I wanted to be open about my powers like you guys. Professor Xavier told me that you all try to think of it as a gift and I want to feel like that again. During these past few weeks, I think it became more of a burden and a duty.”

Ellie raised her hand from the back and asked, “When did you first manifest?”

“Oh, I wasn’t born with my powers.” Peter realized that most of the people here had no idea about his backstory.

“What do you mean?” Blink asked with wide eyes. “Did you get injected with a super-solider serum? Like Captain America?”

“Or were you a lab rat like me?” Logan asked with his back against a tree.

“No, no, it wasn’t anything like that. I actually got bitten by a radioactive spider on a field trip. It was an accident.” Peter wondered if not being a natural mutant was going to be a problem. He didn’t want a mutant version of Flash giving him hell.

Peter cleared his throat and stepped into the most difficult part of the story. “The spider died and I was afraid that I’d die too. Radiation poisoning, you know? When I got home, I was sweating all over and my heart was pounding way too fast. I threw up a couple of times and my vision started to blur.” The crowd gasped, but he soldiered on, “I still managed to write a letter to my aunt explaining everything and left for the E.R. I was crying because I only got to live fifteen years. I wanted to get good grades and a scholarship to M.I.T. so that I could follow in Mr. Stark’s footsteps. I wanted to work for Stark Industries and help my aunt with the bills. I wanted to become a scientist who could save the world. But I was going to die because some stupid spider had bitten me and because I had been too proud to tell the teacher about a bug bite.”

Peter swallowed the lump in his throat. He had never told anyone about this, not even May or Mr. Stark, but it felt right to let it all out. “I had only taken a few steps when I heard a meow. It was a very distinctive meow and I recognized it right away. It was Murph! He’s Mr. Delmar’s cat who always stays in the store six blocks from our place. I looked around, but I couldn’t see him anywhere. There was no way I could’ve heard a small meow from that far away, so I thought that I was hearing things because of the fever. But I heard it again! This time, I could even hear Mr. Delmar talking to him. And then, I could suddenly hear so many voices at once!”

Jean nodded in sympathy as she remembered how terrified and overwhelmed she had been when she had first heard a million voices in her head at the same time. Perhaps she and Peter had more things in common than she had thought.

Peter held onto the thick blanket of comfort that the Professor had wrapped around his mind. “I was on my knees in the middle of the street with my hands over my ears. Then I noticed that I had brought my backpack out of habit and put on my earphones. It helped a lot more than I expected and that was when I started to _see_ things better. I could see all the small details on the traffic lights. There were cracks here and there and a few bugs were sitting on the lights. Then I felt a breeze on my face and I could smell all the ingredients of a lady’s perfume! It was crazy! I thought that perhaps I should work for Chanel instead of Stark Industries.”

Many people burst into laughter while a few wiped away their tears. They had all had doubts about their survival at some point in their lives; they had either thought that they were going to die or that they should. Listening to yet another kid having gone through such a devastating experience broke their hearts into pieces.

Peter carried on with his story, “Then my stomach settled down and I stopped sweating. I had a feeling that the worst was over and I’d live. I also knew that I couldn’t be honest if a doctor asked about my symptoms. I didn’t want to spend the rest of my life in a secret government facility and get tested around the clock. So I went back inside and grabbed an apple to see if I could taste things better too. And, oh my god, that was the best apple I’ve ever had! But while I was eating it, my hand got stuck on the apple. It was so weird! Then I noticed that I had tiny hairs on my fingertips that made me sticky. They grossed me out so much, but I had to test them. And, I found out that I could do _this_.”

He did a double backflip and stuck to the tree behind him with just his feet. The crowd went wild and he soaked it up before doing a big frontflip to get back to his spot. “And, as some of you saw last Saturday when I was here with Mr. Stark, I also got really strong and flexible. I could lift my bed easily and I became a yoga master overnight! Then I realized that I had to do something useful with this new power. My uncle had gotten murdered on the street not too long ago and I had often felt so helpless, so I figured I could help people in danger. I turned my hoodie and old sweatpants into a rough Spider-Man suit and went out to do just that. It felt amazing! At first, I didn’t have any weapons. But I thought that since I’m Spider-Man, I should have spider webs.”

Sean raised his hand with a mischievous grin. “Do they come out of your butt like spiders’ do?”

People giggled and Scott did his best not to imagine such a horrifying picture.

“No, haha. God, no.” Peter chuckled. “Since I make them myself, I have them in these web shooters.” He pointed at his wrists and shot out a few webs to make a hammock between two trees behind the audience.

“But that’s not a home-made suit,” Alex pointed out. “Where did you get that suit then? It looks awesome, by the way.”

Peter grinned widely. Wasn’t this his favorite subject! “Mr. Stark has personally made it for me! It has hundreds of web shooter combinations and it can protect me from so many things! And, he constantly upgrades it whenever he gets new ideas!” He wanted to go into more detail, but he had been warned by Professor X not to disclose everything in case anyone was a future enemy. (He had also mentioned that he’d wipe that person’s memory about this school, but they had agreed that it couldn’t hurt to play it safe.)

“Are you an Avenger then?” Doreen asked with a squirrel in her lap.

Peter shrugged. “Yeah, basically.”

“Don’t you want to join the X-Men?” Darwin baited him with a grin.

“Haha, I’m very loyal to Mr. Stark. He’s more than just a mentor and I owe him my life.” Peter knew that he could’ve drowned that day, wrapped in his own parachute.

“Does that mean he’s your dad?” A little girl with purple hair asked.

Peter shrugged again. “Yeah, basically.”

“Whoa! Do you live with him too?” A little boy asked. The horns on his head gleamed as he got excited.

Peter shrugged yet again. “Yeah, basically.”

Jean rolled her eyes since she could see through Peter’s half-truths with her telepathy, but everyone else was too busy whispering animatedly to join her.

Then barrels of questions rolled Peter’s way.

“How many spiders do you know?” Another girl asked. “Doreen knows hundreds of squirrels!”

“Um, I’m only slightly acquainted with Black Widow… I don’t know any actual spiders, sorry.” Peter chuckled as the girl’s face fell.

“Don’t you get lonely on patrols?” Warren asked.

“Oh, I have KAREN.” Peter smiled as he thought about her.

“Who’s Karen??” Jubilee was alarmed. She had thought that Kitty had subtly asked Peter if he was single and had gotten a positive answer.

“She’s the A.I. that Mr. Stark kindly put in my Spider-Man suit.” Peter grinned and enjoyed the crowd murmuring about the amazingness of his favorite superhero.

“So there’s no Spider-girl or Spider-boy in your life?” Bobby asked.

Kitty bristled. Why would her ex-boyfriend want to know about that?

“Haha, nope.” Peter shook his head. “I’m afraid superheroes don’t have time to date. And, it’s too dangerous for anyone to go out with them.”

“Why?” Kitty blurted out. Did Peter really expect to stay single after this?

“Well, they could get kidnapped and hurt.” Peter reminded himself that there were young children in the audience. He didn’t want to use words like ‘torture’ or ‘death’.

“What if they can handle themselves?” Silver asked, holding up Peter’s phone, as he kept on filming.

“I’d still worry.” Peter smiled sadly. “It would be my fault even if they got a small scratch.”

“Speaking of scratches, don’t you want to scratch your head when you keep the mask on for too long?” Storm asked a playful question to change the mood.

“That’s a great question! A scalp massage function has just been added yesterday. Mr. Stark really thinks of everything.” Peter smiled dreamily.

“Don’t you get cold? The suit looks great but kind of thin,” Emery asked.

“There’s a heating function! And a cooling one too.” Peter grinned. Any and all questions about his suit would lead to reminding everyone how great Mr. Stark was.

“Can you do a split without tearing the suit?” Kurt asked with amusement in his eyes.

“Haha! Let’s find out, shall we?” Peter did a 180 degree split and got a huge round of applause. Then he lifted his left leg higher and higher and got an even bigger round of applause. Jubilee stared with her mouth wide open while Kitty tried to keep her eyes on Peter’s face. Silver had to shoot his eyes up to the sky. He wasn’t going to check out a fifteen year old kid’s butt. Well, he had already checked it out in the locker room the other day, but he wasn’t going to do it _again_.

“How do you wash the suit?” Rogue asked when Peter got back up.

“Mr. Stark’s robot and his A.I. clean it for me. I think they use steam, infrared ray, and a whole variety of special sprays.”

“Have you ever helped mutants? Or did you only save humans?” A boy in the back asked defiantly.

Peter smiled. This school’s education was geared towards coexistence with humans, but there were apparently students who needed more convincing. “I have no idea if I’ve saved any mutants. It’s hard to tell from the outside, you know. But I’d like to think that many mutants can take better care of themselves.” He hoped that it was an adequate answer and realized that he would have to navigate such tricky questions with caution when he did press conferences and interviews in the outside world. Mr. Stark usually did them so effortlessly, looking marvelous and graceful.

“Okay, one last question and let’s get on with the class.” Charles thought that they had grilled the boy enough for one day.

“Can we all get a picture together?” Kitty asked with hope in her voice.

“Of course!” Peter shot her a warm smile. “I’d love that.”

It wasn’t easy to fit everyone in a single picture, but they managed somehow. The youngest students sat on the ground while the ones who could fly decorated the top of the picture. Peter was sitting in the middle with a little boy in his lap who was holding several squirrels in his own lap. He had the mask on per everyone’s request. Jubilee was standing above Peter and Kitty was hovering in the air above her. Silver checked once again that everyone was in the frame before shouting, “One! Two! Three! Cheese!” Then he quickly ran to the edge of the crowd and gave the camera a huge grin before the picture got taken. This picture had to be their hottest picture this year. He couldn’t wait to post it on the school Facebook page in all its HD glory.

 

Peter soon found himself back in his regular clothes, standing at the front of the biggest classroom. Unlike other classes that held different groups of students according to their level and interest, the civilian evacuation strategy class held most of the eldest students at the same time. There were even students who were in undergrad and the teachers took turns to give the best help depending on the week’s scenario. Today Hank was leading the class since he had chosen a case with elevators and apparently nobody knew more about elevators than Hank.

Peter drew a rough sketch of the Washington Monument on the whiteboard. The disaster was still fresh in his mind and he didn’t want to think about it, but he knew that he could gain valuable insight by sharing his problem with like-minded people. So when Hank gently asked him to explain the scenario, he gave as much detail as he could. He wanted to know if he could’ve done anything better. Thankfully nobody had been hurt that day, but it had been way too close for comfort.

Kurt listened intently to Peter who explained things like a true superhero. He talked about a ‘recon drone’ and a ‘point of entry’. It all sounded very strategic and cool. In this school, only eighteen year olds and plusses were allowed to go on missions and they had a buddy system, but Peter had been out there alone at the tender age of fifteen. Peter wasn’t just strong physically; he was also strong mentally to have handled all of that on his own. Now that he thought about it, Spider-Man had even fought the Vulture by himself! Whoa! He had just found a whole new respect for his sticky friend.

Kitty propped her chin on her hand as she listened to Peter’s high yet intriguing voice. He was talking about the elasticity and strength of his webs and the weight that they could potentially handle. Then Hank started to explain things about elevators and she tuned it out. She thought about what Peter had said earlier. Could he still hear people’s heartbeat that easily? Wouldn’t that be too annoying? Did he wear a special device in his ears that helped him with the influx of sounds? She wondered if his superhuman body already got used to it or if it helped when people talked to him in a small voice. She would have to ask him sometime, but for now, she was interested in the discussion about what Peter could’ve done differently.

“You told us that people were rushing out through the entrance and exits, but I feel like that would’ve still been the easiest point of entry,” Alex suggested. “You could’ve just stuck on the ceiling and moved towards the elevator shaft.”

“People didn’t recognize me in Washington,” Peter explained. “I think the guards would’ve fired at me the minute I refused to get down on the ground. My suit is bullet proof and I can usually disarm people pretty fast, but there were so many civilians! What if I was slower that day and a bullet ricocheted while I was webbing the guards up?” He shuddered.

“That’s a risk we all have to learn to take,” Hank said with a heavy heart. Charles was walking around in an exoskeleton suit because of a ricocheted bullet. “You said you were lucky there was a police chopper around. If there hadn’t been one, you couldn’t have gotten in through the window.”

Darwin nodded. “Yeah, I think it would’ve been safer to get through the guards and head for the shaft. Once you got there, you could’ve swung up and shot up a lot of thick webs in layers. So even if the elevator had dropped, it would’ve been cushioned while going through your layers.”

Blink chimed in, “We saw you on the news when the ferry got hit. If your webs can hold a ship that’s splitting into two, I’m sure they can handle an elevator no matter how high it is.”

Sean agreed, “Yeah, even if more guards or the police got to the shaft, by then, they would’ve noticed that you were trying to help.”

“But if one of us had been with you, you could’ve gotten some real help,” Hank said in a lighter tone. “Kitty?”

“Yeah, I could’ve just flown him up there and phased through the walls.” Kitty tried to picture it in her head. She couldn’t wait to turn eighteen and go on missions.

“Or he could’ve listened to his poor mentor with a fragile heart and not put anyone in danger in the first place.”

Everyone gasped as Tony Stark casually walked into the classroom. He was wearing a black T-shirt that said ‘A moment of science please’ with vintage blue jeans.

“Mr. Stark!!” Peter ran the short distance and threw himself in Mr. Stark’s arms, not caring one bit that he was in the middle of a class. Well, the bell was going to ring at any moment, so he figured that it would be okay. “What are you doing here?”

_Rrr-ring._

“What do you _think_ I’m doing here?” Tony hugged the kid and ruffled his hair.

“You’re here for me?” Peter looked up, holding on a little more tightly.

“Beep. Wrong answer,” Tony answered in a robotic voice. “I’m here for pizza!” He snapped his fingers and a dozen drones flew in with pizza boxes through the open windows.

Peter chuckled as the crowd went wilder than when he had announced his secret identity. His pride would’ve been hurt if the pizza hadn’t smelled so delicious. It had been an emotional afternoon and he was thrilled at the thought of putting some yummy food in his stomach.

“So you didn’t come all the way here to see if I was okay?” Peter pulled back reluctantly, only because he had to eat.

“Of course not!” Tony thanked Sean who had grabbed him a chair and sat down. “What do you think I am? A helicopter dad? Pfft! I just thought it was the right temperature and humidity to drown young minds in some quality Italian dough.”

“Om nom nom, quality dough it is!” Peter cherished the harmony of ingredients inside his mouth. “Did Tom and Jerry make these?”

“Nah.” Tony took a bite of genuine Hawaiian pizza. “Tom and Jerry and Jerry’s brother made these. It was a three-man job.”

“Ooh…” Peter savored the exquisite flavor and smiled at his hero. He should really pat himself on the back for having the best taste in superheroes. Mr. Stark was simply the best! He would’ve still been the best even if he had showed up empty-handed, but Mr. Stark was so awesome that he couldn’t help but be the best version of his already best self. He tried to convey his gratitude in a few words because he needed his mouth to eat; he could see that pizza was disappearing at an alarming rate from the corner of his eye. “Thank you, Mr. Stark. I really appreciate it.”

“Anytime, kid. Anytime.” Tony patted Peter on the back with his free hand and kicked Charles out of his head who had been singing a poorly made song about helicopters. His friend was a surprisingly lousy singer and nobody was going to interrupt their father-son time, not even Charles.

 


	9. Today’s problem: A change in living arrangements and stupid business trips

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> May finally moves in and Peter reluctantly moves out of Mr. Stark's guest room. He isn't pleased about Mr. Stark going on a week-long business trip either. Tony feels the same, but there's nothing he can do about it. Do they handle things with a bit of a dramatic touch? Yes, of course. They're born that way.

_  
In the previous chapter…_

Peter had told his school that he was Spider-Man and had dealt with people’s many questions. He had also gotten a couple of kisses on the cheek from Silver and had given him a note full of ‘<3’s in return. It had already been a good day, but Mr. Stark had made it even better by showing up with drones carrying lots of pizza.

 

_Thwip._

Peter swung from tree to tree as he chewed his fruity gum. It had been a gift from a seven year old boy who had wanted a selfie with Spider-Man. Yum, this was good stuff. He pulled his mask up to give his mouth more freedom to chew. He was on patrol after school, mostly giving animal friends a hand. Kurt had offered to teleport him home, but he hadn’t wanted to go home early. Today was the day that he had to move out of Mr. Stark’s apartment. It was also the day that Mr. Stark left for a business trip. He tried to shift his focus to May, but Mr. Stark was an absolute force that drew everything and everyone towards him.

Yesterday afternoon had turned out to be perfect. Mr. Stark had stayed with him while signing autographs and taking pictures with the students in the school backyard. He had felt like a celebrity who had attended a red carpet event with his co-star who had taken him under his wing. Mr. Stark had even answered some eager questions about new Avengers merchandise and technical questions about the Iron man and Spider-Man suits. Then they had gone on joint patrol again and had stopped a few crimes mostly just by showing up together. There hadn’t been much action, but that was always the best-case scenario and he had enjoyed every bit of it.

Today had been rough though. It had been wrong from the start. Mr. Stark had left early for work, leaving a note behind. He hadn’t gotten to hear his heartbeat, let alone have breakfast with him. Then at school, several squirrels had been sick and had trouble eating. And, now that he was not only the new kid but also the hottest superhero in school, he couldn’t do anything without two dozen eyes following him around. He had actually basked in people’s attention in the morning, but after lunch, he had felt a little bit too watched. Perhaps he was too used to being in the shadow behind a protective mask. Or perhaps he had just been on edge because of the upcoming change in living arrangements.

He had only spent a week in Mr. Stark’s guest room, but it felt like a month or two. Adults always talked about how time flew, but he felt very differently. Mr. Delmar had once told him that life moved at 10km/h for teenagers and it sped up to 20km/h when you were in your 20s. And, when you were in your 30s, it became 30km/h and so on. Perhaps he was right, which meant that the next seven days without Mr. Stark would move as slowly as the past seven days. Of course the difference was that the former had moved slowly because he had been living every moment to its fullest while the latter would move slowly because he would be miserable without his hero.

“Urgh, KAREN, do you think we should head home? It doesn’t look like anybody needs our help today,” Peter pouted as he looked around.

KAREN: “I think it’s time for a snack, Peter. _Then_ we should head home.”

“Great idea.” Peter found a solid tree that could handle his weight and sat in it. He took off his mask, opened his backpack, and pulled out a burrito.

“KAREN, I feel awful,” Peter confessed as he unwrapped his precious snack.

KAREN: “Then I suggest you check out your five o’clock.”

“Huh? What’s going on there?” Peter did as he was told and felt a fresh breeze on his face. “Oh…” He closed his eyes and savored the feeling.

KAREN: “Breezes are known to soothe people.”

“Haha, that’s right. I think that’s why I like to swing around on my webs so much.” Peter smiled, already feeling a little bit better. KAREN was awesome; like incredibly awesome that it often blew his mind to know that she existed. “KAREN, I don’t say this often enough, but I’m so glad that Mr. Stark created you.”

KAREN: “Thank you, Peter. That’s very nice of you. I’m glad to have met you too.”

Peter grinned and wolfed down his burrito. KAREN wasn’t just a smart A.I. with a pretty voice. She was also polite, funny, and considerate. It warmed his heart every time to think that Mr. Stark had programmed her perfectly for him.

“KAREN, do you think I’m being too needy?” Peter wasn’t sure if this was a good question to ask, but he wanted to hear what she thought.

KAREN: “What do you mean by ‘needy’?”

“Well, Mr. Stark probably created you to be my friend because he didn’t have the time to check on me so often, right? Yes, he wanted me to have help while I’m fighting bad guys, but he also programmed you to give me relationship advice and stuff. But I’ve spent much more time with _him_ rather than with you this week! He’s been very generous with his time because he knew that I wanted it. But instead of being grateful and accepting the limits, I got greedy. I got needier as we did more and more things together.”

KAREN: “Peter, from what I’ve heard from FRIDAY, Mr. Stark cares about you very much. So I think he spent that much time with you because he wanted to. I also think that it’s okay to ask for love when you need it.”

“Wow, you talk to FRIDAY?” Peter was surprised.

KAREN: “Of course. We’re electronic sisters.”

Peter laughed as he pulled out the small packet of orange juice. It was nice to know that someone kept KAREN company while he was away.

“Do you think Mr. Stark’s going on a business trip because he didn’t get to do much work?” Peter drank his juice. “I mean, the timing looks a bit suspicious, doesn’t it? He’s leaving on the same day that May’s moving in. I don’t want to scare him away, you know. He probably has a million problems to deal with and I don’t want to be one.”

KAREN: “I can’t imagine anyone thinking of you as a problem, Peter. Except for the bad guys.”

Peter chuckled. “Thanks, KAREN.”

KAREN: “I mean it. And, don’t forget that Mr. Stark loves to solve beautifully complicated problems.”

Peter nodded. He decided that if he was going to be a problem to Mr. Stark, the least he could do was be a beautiful one. “Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?”

KAREN: “My King, you are the fairest in the land.”

“That’s what I wanted to hear, muhahaha!” Peter imitated the evil queen from Snow White.

KAREN: “Your impersonations are very funny.”

“That is _also_ what I wanted to hear, muhaha… ack…” Peter coughed at the end. Perhaps he had thrown too much into his performance.

KAREN: “Evil laughter isn’t easy to master when you’re so good, my King.”

Peter narrowed his eyes suspiciously. “Did Mr. Stark program you to be a kiss-ass?”

KAREN: “No. But he certainly programmed me to say ‘Language, Peter’.”

Peter laughed as he put away everything and pulled the mask back on. It was time to swing home.

 

“Good afternoon, FRIDAY.” Peter smiled as he waited for FRIDAY to confirm his identity and let him into Mr. Stark’s apartment.

FRIDAY: “Good afternoon, Peter. Please come in.”

“Thanks.” Peter walked in when the door opened and looked around. He had only spent a couple of hours in his own apartment when he had unpacked his things, so this place felt more like home.

FRIDAY: “Mr. Stark has left some boxes for you in front of the guest room. He also told me to get a couple of drones if you need some help.”

“No thanks, FRI. I’m good. I don’t have much to pack.”

Peter walked into the guest room with a sigh. He thought about being all melodramatic; singing a very emotional song and caressing the furniture with the saddest look on his face. He could go one step further and ask FRIDAY to lower the lights except for one that would light him like an actor on stage. But he decided to be a man about it and just get it done. So he used his super speed and packed up everything as quickly as possible. Then he picked a sock and put it under the edge of the bed so that only one-third of it was visible. He giggled as he felt like Cinderella leaving a glass shoe for the prince.

“Ah, I feel you, Cindy. I feel you.”

He left the boxes near the front door and dragged his feet to the living room. Mr. Stark didn’t seem to spend much time in the living room, but he had many things decorating the walls. Throwing himself on the couch, he looked at the picture that they had hung together right above the biggest couch. It was a selfie that they had taken during their joint patrol yesterday: he was holding the phone in his Spider-Man suit and Mr. Stark had an arm around his neck in his Iron Man suit. They were holding donuts in their free hands with a big smile on their faces while sitting on a huge donut above Randy’s Donuts. It was one of Mr. Stark’s favorite donut shops and the second shop had just opened near the Avengers facility. The brand had become famous after Iron Man had eaten a donut on top of their main shop in California, so they probably wanted to keep the fame going.

“Hehehe…” Peter chuckled as he remembered the look on Mr. Stark’s face when he had told him that they didn’t need a hammer to hang the frame on the wall. He had simply pushed the nail with his thumb and Mr. Stark’s jaw had dropped. Nothing gave him a bigger rush than impressing the great Tony Stark.

“Friday, does Mr. Stark usually go on business trips alone?” Peter got comfortable with his head on the cushion.

FRIDAY: “No, he usually takes Mr. Hogan with him. But Mr. Hogan was instructed to stay behind to protect you and drive you to and from school.”

“Protect me?” Peter shot up and flailed his arms. “But I’m Spider-Man! I can handle myself.”

FRIDAY: “Excuse me for stating the obvious, Peter, but he’s Iron Man. He can handle himself too.”

“I guess so…” Peter flopped back down. “But I’d feel so much better if Happy went with him.”

FRIDAY: “I’m sorry to hear that. But Mr. Stark feels so much better because Mr. Hogan will stay with you instead. And, unfortunately, Mr. Hogan works for Mr. Stark.”

“Urgh, you’re right.” Peter picked up a dumbbell that was near the coffee table. He threw it in the air and caught it with two fingers. “I just worry that bad guys might be waiting for a chance to take out Mr. Stark while he’s out of his suit. And, you know how easy it is to bring down a small plane!”

FRIDAY: “It’s a Stark plane, Peter. It has a sophisticated defense system.”

“Well, I’ve been on one of those planes, literally. And, I’m telling you, it went down pretty easily even though I tried my best to keep it in the air.” Peter remembered the fight with the Vulture. He was relieved that nobody had been on that plane.

FRIDAY: “Mr. Stark did have dangerous moments on his trips, but he’s very shrewd and resourceful. There’s also an individual whose identity I cannot reveal who constantly looks out for him. His face may have only one eye, but he has eyes everywhere.”

“One eye? Is that supposed to be a hint? There are so many people who have a single eye these days. Captain Hook, Harry Hart from ‘Kingsmen’, Stewart from ‘Minions’, the scary lady from ‘Blade Runner 2049’…” Peter yawned. Swinging a long distance back home was taking its toll on him, not to mention the wide range of emotions that he had gone through because of Mr. Stark’s upcoming absence and his rapid rise to stardom in school. Before he knew it, Peter was snoring lightly while FRIDAY closed the curtains.

 

A couple of hours later, Peter stirred and let out a jaw-cracking yawn. “FRIDAY? What time is it?”

FRIDAY: “I’d say it’s May time, Peter. She just got here.”

“My aunt is here?!” Peter jumped up as FRIDAY turned on the lights and opened the front door. He ran downstairs with his boxes and spotted May, Happy, and a few drones.

“May!!” Peter dropped his boxes and ran to his aunt. He picked her up and twirled her around. He didn’t have to pretend to be a weak kid without any muscles anymore.

“Sweetheart! I’m not a Disney princess! You can put me down now.” May laughed.

“Whoa! What are you saying?” Peter gasped as he put her down. “I thought you were a princess all my life! I feel cheated!”

“Sorry, royalty fan. Do you think I can make it up to you with _this_?” May picked up a plastic bag with a grin.

Peter sniffed the air before his eyes lit up. “Mr. Delmar’s sandwich?”

“That’s right. He said it was on the house.”

“But I feel like I should pay! I don’t think his insurance covered much. I’m going to see him tomorrow, so perhaps he’ll let me pay.” Peter reached for the bag.

“Perhaps. Now let me take a good look at you.” May grabbed her nephew’s cheeks while he grabbed the bag. “You got more handsome without my permission, young man.”

“May,” Peter groaned. “That line stopped making me feel good about myself two years ago. Now it’s just embarrassing.”

“Well, then how about this? Tony told me that you’ve been a very good boy.” May raised her eyebrow.

“He said that?” Peter grinned as he hugged the plastic bag. “Well, I tried, you know. He’s new to this whole parenting thing, so I figured I should cut him some slack. I find it very cute that he’s reading so many parenting books.”

May laughed. “And, how would you know that?”

“Ah!” Peter pointed at his eyes. “I’m a good fanboy, so I observe him closely. I’m a royalty fan, remember? And, I also got some observation training in school.”

May snorted. “I know your timetable, Peter. You’ve had _one_ observation training class so far.”

“So?” Peter batted his eyes innocently. “I paid attention in class! I’ve been _that_ good of a boy!”

“If you say so.” May pulled him into her arms. “I missed you so much, sweetie.”

“Me too, Princess May.” Peter dug his face into May’s shoulders and soaked up the sound of her heartbeat. He hadn’t been able to hear it for a whole week. It was the most comforting sound for him with Mr. Stark’s heartbeat being a close second.

“Okay, enough with the mushy reunion.” May squeezed Peter’s shoulders one last time and gave him a bright smile. “Let’s eat. Then you’re going to tell me about everything that’s been going on and I’ll do the same. How does that sound?”

“Great!” Peter ran into their new apartment with glee. He had talked to May every night on the phone, but he couldn’t wait to catch up with her properly.

 

_Rrr-ring._

Peter’s ears perked up when the doorbell rang. He watched as May opened the door to reveal Mr. Stark standing in the doorway. Chatting vigorously with his aunt had helped him forget about his impending doom, but now, Mr. Stark was here to destroy his night.

“Good evening, Mr. Stark.” Peter got up from the couch and gave his mentor a smile. He looked tired.

“Hey, kid.” Tony walked over to the boy and patted him on the shoulder. “Sorry I missed you this morning.”

“It’s okay! I know you’re very busy, so you don’t have to say anything.” Peter relished the warmth of Mr. Stark’s hand that was still on his shoulder. Geez, he _was_ needy!

“What’s all this, Tony?” May asked about the box near the entrance while she carried a tray full of herbal tea and healthy snacks. Something told her that Tony hadn’t eaten much all day.

“Just a few things I want to ask Peter to keep an eye on for me,” Tony answered as he gave the kid a wink.

“Really?” Peter shot out of the living room to check the contents of the box. There was a pillow, a suit jacket, and a mini arc reactor encased in glass. He understood why Mr. Stark wanted the last item particularly safe, but he didn’t get why the man valued the other two that much.

“I’ll let you guys talk.” May gave Tony a warm smile. “If you need anything, I’ll be in my room arranging things.”

“Thanks, May.” Tony appreciated the privacy in case things were about to get sappy. “Peter?” He wondered what the boy was thinking.

“Yes?” Peter turned his head and looked at him.

“You’re staring at my stuff. Is there a problem?” Tony asked.

“No problem.” Peter didn’t want to let him know that he was a little disappointed to see that there wasn’t a sock in the box. Mr. Stark had probably been too busy and tired to check the guest room. “I was just wondering why there’s only half of the suit. You don’t like the pants that much?”

“Well, I didn’t think that you’d want to smell my pants,” Tony answered easily and dug into the PB&J.

Peter panicked. How did Mr. Stark know that he found comfort in his scent? Did he think that it was weird?

“Relax,” Tony reassured him. “I know I smell amazing. People tell me so all the time!”

Peter laughed as Mr. Stark sniffed at his own arm and pretended to swoon. “When are you leaving?”

“Anytime I want tonight.” Tony picked up his cup of tea and savored the taste. A cup of good tea after a long day was always rewarding. Gosh, he sounded like Charles.

“Then do you think we could talk a little before you leave?” Peter walked over to the couch and sat next to Mr. Stark.

“Of course.” Tony pushed the other teacup in front of Peter.

“Do you think you could read me a bedtime story too…?” Peter asked. He hoped that it would hurt less if he could fall asleep to Mr. Stark’s voice. KAREN had said that it was okay to ask for love when you needed it. If KAREN thought so, then Mr. Stark who had made her thought so too. Perfect logic.

“Sure, kid.” Tony didn’t have the heart to say no. He could just burn more fuel to fly faster.

Peter grinned as he started to think about the right book. That was when he saw Mr. Stark pull something out of the back pocket of his jeans. “Oh my god, that’s my sock!” He couldn’t help the thrill that coursed through his system.

“Is it?” Tony sniffed at it and pretended to gag. “Yep, this is definitely yours.”

“It’s washed! It doesn’t smell!” Peter giggled as he tried to snatch the sock out of the man’s hands. When Mr. Stark peered at him a little suspiciously, he did his best to give him his most innocent look. Thankfully, he seemed to have passed the test and got his sock back. Then he asked the question that had been on his mind all day. “Don’t you need a bodyguard, Mr. Stark?”

“When I go on business trips?” Tony bit into an apple.

“Yes, and when you’re here too.” Peter drank his tea.

“I’ve got Happy. He’s more than capable of keeping me safe.”

“I know. But he’s just one person. Don’t you need more?” Peter nibbled at a handful of almonds.

“I have _you_ now, don’t I?” Tony ruffled Peter’s hair.

“You do, but I’m not around all the time. See, I need to go save people and animals and get something called ‘education’.” Peter used his fingers to make the air quotes.

“Well, it’s not easy to find people as loyal as Happy and you, so I’ll have to make do.” Tony pinched the boy’s pouty cheek. “Now tell me about your day.”

So Peter talked about his day, going into as much detail as possible to delay the inevitable. But an hour later, he was yawning, exhausted from having talked so much all day, and was sent off to the bathroom to brush his teeth.

“You washed your feet? Did you floss too?” Tony looked at the kid in his sleepwear.

“Yes, I did. I’m not ten, Mr. Stark,” Peter answered in an exasperated voice.

“I know you’re not, but it’s easy to forget one of those. It happens to the best of us,” Tony made his point with a finger in the air.

“Well, I didn’t forget anything. I even kissed May goodnight, so I’m good.” Peter headed for his room with Mr. Stark in tow.

“I’m proud of you, champ.” Tony meant it.

“Thanks. But how often do you forget, Mr. Stark?” Peter walked into his bedroom and looked at the man suspiciously. “Does FRIDAY have to remind you?”

“I refuse to answer that one. Now, you earned the right to choose the book. Get me a good one.” Tony grabbed Peter’s desk chair and got comfortable next to the bed.

Peter let it go since he could always ask FRIDAY sometime and scanned the titles on his bookshelf. He wanted a decent book that wasn’t too easy so that he could fall asleep to it. “I choose Carl Sagan’s ‘Cosmos’.”

“Excellent choice!” Tony turned on the lamp on the nightstand.

Peter handed over the book and turned off the main lights before getting into bed. He felt giddy with excitement. Mr. Stark had a wonderful voice. He needed to read more for audiobooks so that all the kids who didn’t have dads could listen to the comforting voice before they fell asleep.

“The Cosmos is all that is or ever was or ever will be,” Tony started to read. He tried not to pay any attention to his pillow that was clutched in Peter’s arms, but it kept warming his heart. While he tended to push people away when they got too close, Peter tended to pull them towards him even more. He supposed that it was the correct response even though Peter seemed a little desperate. Life was really unfair; most of the boys who had dads took them for granted while boys like Peter yearned to get some fatherly love wherever they could.

“Every star may be a sun to someone,” Tony kept reading as he vowed again to try his very best to die of old age. Peter had already lost two father figures; an actual father and an uncle who had raised him. He already had two strikes, so another one was going to end him. He wondered if someone else would’ve been better for Peter, but it was no use going down that path now. The damage had already been done. Peter was stuck with him. To be honest, Peter wasn’t the only one who was getting a little desperate. Even if he produced a biological son someday, he firmly believed that the boy wouldn’t be half as amazing as his Peter.

“And it is here that we are, in some pain and with no guarantees, working out our destiny.” Tony heard a soft snore and looked up. He closed the book quietly and put it back on the shelf. He made sure that the comforter was up to the kid’s chin and leaned down to give him a kiss on the forehead. He wished Peter a peaceful night without any dreams. In his book, bad dreams were bad for obvious reasons and good dreams were also bad because the harsh reality crashed in once you woke up. He turned off the lamp and slowly made his way to the door. He told himself that the distance felt long because of the dark. He told himself that he was dragging his feet because he was tired. He told himself that his heart ached because he was sick of business trips.

He walked out of the Parkers and headed for the airstrip where the plane was waiting for him. Happy was there to see him off, so he gave him a nod as he got closer. He looked under the plane just in case someone was stuck down there. Peter was sneaky and he could’ve easily pretended to sleep. In the formidable film ‘Interstellar’, the man’s daughter hides in his truck because she wants to join him on the adventure. There was nobody under the plane, but he didn’t let his guard down. As soon as he boarded, he proceeded to check every available hiding space. He was looking for a mutant spider, so he had to include crazy spots that he wouldn’t normally consider.

A thorough safety check produced no spider of any size and Tony had to swallow the unexpected feeling of disappointment. He sighed and took a seat. He looked out of the window to see if anything moved in the dark, but there didn’t seem to be anyone out there except for Happy. So he fastened his seatbelt and gave the pilot the green light. He fiddled with the Stark pad and sent the footage of Peter doing a ‘press conference’ in school onto the big TV screen. He let out another sigh as his heart swelled with pride when he saw Peter’s determined face. The kid had accepted his fate with courage and had handled his first official announcement flawlessly.

The plane took off and Tony closed his eyes. He let Peter’s voice wash away his weariness and fear. Now that he was safely out of Peter’s range of heightened senses, he could admit the fear that had crept up after the Civil War in Germany; the fear that a day would come when he couldn’t protect Peter, when Peter wouldn’t look up to him anymore, or when he couldn’t live without the boy. That last day was coming up fast if he felt like this after a single week with the kid at his place.

_‘I’m afraid you’re still inside_ my _range, love,’_ Charles whispered softly into his best friend’s mind.

_‘Charles…’_ Tony didn’t try to hide his complex emotions about the fifteen year old boy who had been rampaging through his heart. His life had certainly been easier before the kid had flipped into his life (not that his life could’ve been called ‘easy’ in any way), but strangely enough, he had never regretted it even for a second.

_‘Welcome to the disastrous world of fatherhood,’_ Charles said in a light tone. Upon hearing Tony groan, he chuckled and spoke in a sweet voice, _‘Get some rest. You know that everything feels better after a good night’s sleep.’_

_‘I know. I just don’t think that I can fall asleep,’_ Tony admitted. He was exhausted, but he wasn’t at ease enough to hand himself over to the world of unconsciousness.

_‘Don’t worry. Let me take care of you.’_ Charles knew that Tony had trouble getting quality sleep more often than not. Thankfully, he had been able to help most of the time.

_‘No dreams,’_ Tony reminded his friend.

_‘No dreams,’_ Charles reassured him and started to work his magic.

Tony relaxed and slowly fell asleep, surrounded by the presence of his two favorite people in the whole cosmos.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The excerpts that are supposed to be from 'Cosmos' are really from the book. I'm glad that I could find several sentences that worked for the boys as well :) Thank you so much for the warm support <3


	10. Today’s problem: Cosmically related but physically separated

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter visits Queens to see his best friend Ned and to patrol his beloved hometown. He misses Mr. Stark, but it's easier when he gets to focus on other exciting things. Tony spends a busy day and night in Beijing, but he wouldn't miss a chance to talk to the kid.

_  
In the previous chapter…_

Peter had been in a bad mood because he was going to be separated from Mr. Stark. But thankfully, May had moved in with him and Mr. Stark had read him a bedtime story before leaving for his business trip.

 

“Ned!!”

“Peter!!”

Peter felt like he was in a cheesy romantic comedy where the lovers ran towards each other in slow motion. The difference was that they didn’t kiss in the middle. They did their special handshake instead, and since once wasn’t enough, they did it again.

“Welcome back to Queens!” Ned hugged his best friend in front of his house.

“Thanks, man. I missed you!” Peter also thanked Mr. and Mrs. Leeds in his mind for letting him stay with their son while they were out of town.

“What is all this?” Ned pointed at Peter’s bags. “You brought two bags for a one-night sleepover?”

“Haha, nope. This one is for you. You can open it once we’re inside.” Peter looked around and checked if anyone was lurking on the street. He didn’t want any kids to find out that he had access to cool merchandise that wasn’t on the market yet.

“Wow! This is all for me?” Ned looked inside the bag as soon as they settled down on the living room floor.

“Yep! You like it?” Peter took a sip of his apple juice.

“Are you kidding me?!” Ned tried to compose himself enough to keep talking. This was the best day of his life. “You got me a LEGO Avengers Tower! 3,000 pieces, complete with a Quinjet! Two science T-shirts! An Iron Man electric toothbrush! A Black Widow pillowcase! A Captain America wireless mouse! A Hawkeye digital thermometer! A Hulk portable charger! A set of badminton racquets with Spidey eyes! And, a Thor magic belt that will make me look super slim!”

“Wow, buddy, I didn’t know you could rap.” Peter chuckled as Ned caught his breath.

“Oh my god, Peter! How did you even pay for all this?” Ned rubbed his eyes and looked at his gifts again. They were still there. “And, where did you get these racquets? Do you have your own merch now?”

“Yes, I do!” Peter couldn’t contain his excitement. He jumped up to the ceiling and ran around upside down.

Ned didn’t pay any attention to all the fuss going on up there. He was busy caressing his new friends with the biggest grin on his face.

“So!” Peter got back on the floor. “Miss Potts came over this morning and told me that Mr. Stark wanted to launch Spider-Man merchandise. He had apparently talked about it with May throughout the week and had kept it a secret!”

Ned gasped at the right moment because he was an amazing friend. “How dare he?”

“I know, right? Anyway, I get to design the merch myself if I want to or I can just pick one of the designs they come up with. We’re going to start small with some stationery and sports equipment, and those racquets were one of the prototypes.”

“That’s awesome!” Ned heard the sound of money rushing out of his wallet as he thought about all the Spider-Man merch he would buy.

“I know.” Peter smiled dreamily. “I got these with my advance payment.” He had spent all morning confirming designs for several merchandise and throwing in ideas, feeling like a CEO. Mr. Stark had already narrowed them down for him, so it hadn’t been much work. He was thrilled that he got to earn money for the first time. He had felt bad that while he helped people on the street, he wasn’t doing anything to help his own aunt. Hopefully, this project would bring him enough money to help her out. He wondered if Mr. Stark had timed it perfectly so that he would be able to focus on something good instead of feeling empty without his mentor around.

“Tell me they gave you the friend and family discount.” Ned was staring into the soul of his new LEGO set, unable to take his eyes off it.

“Even better! Now that I have my own merch, I got the _Avengers_ discount.” Peter winked.

“Ooh… That’s the coolest thing I’ve ever heard! How much discount is that? Thirty percent? Forty percent?”

“It’s _fifty_ percent!” Peter shared a high-five with Ned who was about to float out to outer space with excitement.

“Are you sure I can keep all this? What about you?” Ned looked at Peter with a guilty but happy look on his face. He was about to commit one of the seven deadly sins: greed.

“Don’t worry about me. Mr. Stark already gave me enough Iron Man merch to fill my room. And, yes, of course you can have it all. It’s a gift.” Peter gave him a warm smile.

“Thank you so much, Peter! I don’t know what to say.” Ned put his hands on his cheeks. He was flustered.

“You’re welcome. And, you can say that we should start building the Tower.” Peter missed building something beautiful with LEGO blocks.

“Haha, okay. We should start building the Avengers Tower!” Ned quickly opened the packaging and handed over a brick to his homeboy. “Would you like to lay the foundation stone?”

“Oh my, Ned. You’re such a gentleman.” Peter played the coquette in a voice that honestly made Ned want to throw up. But Ned prided himself on being an actual gentleman, so he kept the smile on his face and patted Peter on the shoulder. Hard. It wasn’t like he couldn’t take it.

 

A few hours later, the boys had gone out for burgers and fries before coming back to play some badminton in the backyard. Then they had dozed off a little in front of the TV and were now making a gift that Ned wanted to give to Peter.

“You’re seriously not going to tell me? When it’s for me?” Peter whined, “I’m even helping you.” He and Ned were working on some kind of a folding screen. It looked like something they used in Asia, but it was thinner because it was being made out of cardboard and looked even more foldable because you could fold it horizontally too. “Ned!”

“All right, all right.” Ned sighed. He hadn’t wanted to tell Peter what the gift was for until it was finished. He didn’t think that Peter would be convinced of its usefulness. “You can’t just change in an alley, Peter. There are cameras everywhere and people could run into you at any moment! It’s not even about the whole secret identity thing. It’s about you wearing a thong. That kind of sight is not good for most people and _too_ good for some people, if you know what I mean.”

“Oh…” Peter cringed. Mr. Stark had made him switch from boxers to a thong so that the suit would grip him tighter and keep him safer. He had known that he would have to make sacrifices to be a superhero, but that was one sacrifice that he had never ever thought about. His life could be divided into pre-thong era and post-thong era. _That_ was how much that tiny piece of fabric had scarred him.

Ned wanted to soothe his friend who looked shell-shocked; either from numerous battles or from seeing himself in a thong through a mirror. “I just don’t want to see you get molested or get in trouble with the law. A misdemeanor for indecent exposure isn’t going to look good on your résumé. You still want to be an Avenger, right?”

“Of course I do!”

“Good. I promise this will look better when it’s done. I’d ask you to ask Mr. Stark to put something like this in your suit, but I don’t think there’s any room left in there.”

“Fine. I won’t say anything until I see the final product.” Peter decided to give his friend a chance as he passed him a piece of pear. Making anything decent was hard work and he appreciated Ned’s efforts.

“Thanks. I’m also thinking about writing some good quotes, you know, so you could get inspired while you change.” Ned smiled hopefully.

“Ned, I really don’t think…”

_Beep._

Peter whipped out his phone to see if Mr. Stark had left him a text. He had gotten a text in the morning, but the more the merrier.

“Who is it?” Ned asked as his best-friend senses started to tingle. The smile on Peter’s face looked undoubtedly suspicious.

“A friend. He’s just letting me know that we won the bet. You remember the Pennywise thing I told you about?” Peter started typing his response.

“I do. I also remember that you had two teammates. Which one is that?” Ned asked, convinced that this piece of information would be juicier than the pear in his mouth.

Peter narrowed his eyes. “That question is awfully detailed. Are you interrogating me?”

“I don’t know. You’re getting awfully defensive. Are you hiding something from me?” Ned narrowed his eyes too.

“What would I be hiding?”

“I don’t know. That’s why I’m asking. Do you have a crush on this teammate? Do you want them to drop the ‘team’ and keep the ‘mate’?”

“Ned…” Peter groaned. “That’s terrible.”

“Well, I’m not gonna stop with these terrible word games until you tell me what’s going on with you.”

Ned decided to switch tactics when Peter seemed to hesitate. “Come on, Pete. I’m pretty much alone here while you get to have new friends with superpowers. I just want to hear more about it. Do you know how awkward it is to sit with Michelle at lunch?”

“Okay, fine.” Peter relented as he tried to picture the uncomfortable lunch in his mind. Wait a minute… “Is that why you lost weight?”

“Yes. It’s good for my diet but also bad for my diet. You get me? ‘Diet’ and ‘diet’.”

“Yeah, yeah. Your word game is strong today, haha.”

“Thanks, Peter. But you’re not getting out of this one with a strategically placed compliment. Now spill.”

Peter sighed. “Remember I told you that Magneto had a son? The one who runs really fast?”

“Yeah! Silver, right?” Ned slapped Peter’s knee (why slap your own human knee when you could slap a superhuman knee?) as he remembered more about him. “Isn’t he the one who taught you the butterfly?”

“Yeah, that’s him.” Peter tried his best to keep his face blank, hoping that he wouldn’t have to talk more, but a poke in his ribs made him squeak. “Okay! He also kissed me on the cheek after I nudged his foot!”

Ned smirked. “And, you kissed him back?”

“Uh… sort of.” Peter scratched the back of his head.

“Sort of?” Ned was confused. “You either kissed him or you didn’t. Which one is it?”

“I kissed him on a piece of paper…” Peter still couldn’t believe that he had drawn that much courage from Spider-Man to have done all that. “I wrote him a lot of ‘<3333’s on paper…”

Ned burst into laughter. “Man, I’ve seen you do so many nerdy things in your life, but that has to be one of the nerdiest things ever.”

“I thought it was sweet!”

“If you say so.” Ned gave him a big smile. “So that’s one teammate. Who’s the other one?”

“Hmm?” Peter paled.

“Tell me about the other teammate. Why are you acting all weird? Do you like him too?”

“Kitty’s a she.”

“Okay. Then do you like _her_ too?”

“What…?” Peter blinked his eyes rapidly.

“You’re a superhero, Peter.” It was Ned’s turn to groan. “You’ve got to get better at this part of the job. What if bad guys try to get information out of you?”

“Hmm, you sound like that guy in the parking lot with ice cream in his trunk.” Peter wondered if he had returned home safely.

“Huh? What are you talking about?”

“Uh, never mind. Can we stop with the interrogation and move onto video games?”

“Just one last question.”

Peter threw his hands in the air dramatically. “Shoot.”

“Do you think I could be a FBI investigator?”

Peter didn’t know what to say to that. “I thought you wanted to join their crime lab.”

“I did. But seeing how good I am with interrogations, perhaps I should aim a bit higher?” Ned grinned playfully until he had to yelp. He found himself in a tight hug that caused him slight bodily pain. “Hey, I was just messing with you. Please don’t feel bad.”

“I feel bad that I left you here. I’m sorry.” Peter loosened his hold a little so that Ned could breathe more easily.

“Look at me, Peter,” Ned brought out his firm voice as he pulled back. It was time to make some things very clear. “You didn’t leave me here to die alone on a battlefield. You just transferred to a school that works better for you and made the necessary changes in living arrangements.”

“Please don’t mention any changes in living arrangements,” Peter said as it hurt to think about his glorious days on Mr. Stark’s floor.

Ned let out a sigh. “You know how our history teacher always tells us that the world is constantly changing? Well, she’s _my_ teacher now.”

Peter nodded, not sure where this was going.

“And, how we have to adapt to those changes if we want to survive and fulfill our destiny?”

“Yeah…”

“Peter, your whole world changed when you got bitten by that spider. You and I belong to different worlds now. You have a new purpose. You’re meant for bigger things. You were supposed to leave Queens one way or another.”

Ned shushed Peter who tried to get a word in. “You’re going to save the world in ways that only a selected few can. That’s a privilege and I’m proud of you. I’m so proud that you decided to help people with your powers. I’m proud that you don’t mind dealing with petty thieves and little guys on the street. I’m proud that you found the courage to tell the school who you really are.”

Peter felt a lump in his throat. He wasn’t used to hearing such serious words from his usually cheerful friend, but the words moved his heart.

“Listen, Pete. All I’m saying is we’ll talk to each other when we can, but you have to accept that you have a new life now and that things are always going to change. I don’t resent you for moving and you don’t have to feel guilty about anything.”

Peter nodded and pulled his best friend into another hug. “I think you should consider becoming a FBI counselor.”

Ned laughed. “I’ll think about it while you’re out on patrol. Tell Mr. Delmar and Murph I said hi.”

“Will do!” Peter gave him his brightest smile and ran to get his suit. He felt lighter, thanks to the good Dr. Leeds.

 

Tony let out a contented sigh as he sank a little more into the water. He was in a lavish bathtub with a cold towel on his head in one of the best hotel rooms in Beijing. He had enjoyed a late dinner with his business associates who had then sent him up with some special dessert; a strong male kind and a pretty female kind. It had been a while since he had engaged himself in such vigorous activities that lasted all night long, so he was trying to soothe the consequent aches.

“FRIDAY, play the video Peter sent me on the screen,” Tony talked to his phone as he looked up at the TV screen in the bathroom. It was useful to carry a mini version of FRIDAY with him.

FRIDAY: “Right away, sir.”

Tony couldn’t help but smile as Peter’s face showed up on the screen. Well, he could only see the lower half of his face because the top half was covered by the mask. It looked like the kid was taking a break on a rooftop during his patrol in Queens.

“Hi, Mr. Stark! It’s me, Peter. How are you doing? Business going well? Stomach getting full? Missing your special boy more and more as minutes crawl by?”

Tony laughed and poured himself another glass of champagne.

“You know, I stopped making these highly interesting videos because we lived together and I didn’t patrol much, so there wasn’t much to tell you through videos. And, I feel like I live in a secret facility and go to a secret school, so I thought it would be best if I stopped filming. But now that you’re on the other side of the Earth, approximately 6,800 miles away from me, yes, I looked it up on some map app, I think it’s time for a comeback!”

Tony laughed again as he listened to Peter talk a mile a minute. The kid had helped a window cleaner on a tall building get a spot that he couldn’t reach. He had also helped a couple of kids who had been trying to make a sundial out of a paper plate and a straw. But the highlight of today’s patrol had apparently been chasing down a car thief. Peter had caught up with him at a busy intersection and had lifted the car before shaking him out of it. Damn, that was badass! He’d have to see it for himself on the baby monitor feed.

Tony turned on the jets as he kept watching the video. It really was interesting. The kid was now talking about a weird bad boy who had been happy to see him again. According to Peter, it had looked like he had been causing trouble in front of a toy store just to catch his attention. The boy had asked Peter if he could make the webs extra tight around his wrists and had grinned when he had done so. Huh, he’d have to check the baby monitor feed for that one as well and make sure that it didn’t happen again.

He got out of the bathtub as Peter started to talk about how thrilled he had been to talk Spider-Man merchandise with May and Pepper. He also talked about how happy he had been to see Ned and how happy Ned had been to see him and his gifts. Then the video got cut abruptly as the kid told him that there was a situation and that he had to go.

“I love you, Mr. Stark! Don’t work too hard! Please call me when you can!”

Tony replayed the last words on a loop as he got ready for bed. Then he decided to hear the words from Peter himself. It was morning here, but it would be early night back home.

“Mr. Stark!!!” Peter squealed as his hero’s face appeared on the screen of his phone.

“Hey, kiddo.” Tony winced as he watched Peter slap poor Ned on the arm repeatedly in his great excitement. “Hi, Ned. Is your arm okay?”

“Good evening, Mr. Stark… Or should I say good morning…” Ned said in a dying voice. “I think it’s time for me to upgrade my arm like that scary mascara dude. How long do you think I’ll have to save up to get one of those metal arms?”

Tony chuckled as he heard Peter kick him out of the room.

“Sorry about that. How was your day?” Peter’s eyes grew wide as he saw the hotel bed in the background. “Whoa! That bed looks like it belongs in a palace! So shiny!”

“Well, I’m on it, aren’t I?” Tony put on his most pretentious face and sent the kid into a fit of giggles.

“Can I see the room? Is there a chandelihee~ee~?”

It was Tony’s turn to giggle as Peter tried to imitate Sia. He got up from the bed and took the phone around the suite to show the boy everything he wanted to see. Nothing was really new to him and he felt jaded after so many business trips, but even the tiniest detail seemed to fascinate the kid. “I’ll tell you what. I’m going to bring you on one of these trips over a weekend or we can go on a trip together on your winter vacation. Then you’ll get to explore these rooms to your heart’s content.”

“Really?!” Peter gasped. “Oh my god! You know I’m recording this, right? You’ll have to keep your promise!”

Tony laughed as he resisted the urge to point out that deleting a recording would be child’s play for him; he didn’t want to dampen Peter’s excitement. “You do well at school, you don’t take unnecessary risks on patrols, and you don’t give May and Happy an aneurysm or an ulcer, then you’ve got yourself a deal.”

“Deal!” Peter had to do a double flip to express his joy. “Oh, by the way, I spotted your security drones in the backyard. They’re hanging out with Droney at the moment. You do know it’s just a sleepover, right?”

“It’s a sleepover without any adults! Besides, if you’re afraid of the dark, they can stay by your window and shoot you some eerily red beams all night.”

Peter giggled before he got an alarming idea. “Mr. Stark, are you worried that someone might know you’re out of the country? Do you think someone’s going to try to use this opportunity to hurt me?”

“Of course not! Where did you even get such an idea? I’m just being my paranoid self,” Tony spoke in a light tone. He hated to see that Peter had already started to think differently. Perhaps he shouldn’t have sent him to a mutant spy school, but it was difficult to think badly of Charles’ school. Charles was just providing his students with the necessary skills so that they could defend themselves and the civilians. “Don’t worry, kid. Remember you’re inside Charles’ range. He’ll know before you notice anything with your Spidey senses, okay?”

“Okay, Mr. Stark.” Peter smiled, feeling very safe. “So Happy isn’t sitting in a motel room a few blocks from here, being pouty and grumpy and not living up to his name?”

“Of course not! Now stop asking weird questions and get the metal arm lover back in there. I’m going to read you boys a bedtime story and sleep.”

Peter’s jaw dropped.

“What? You thought I’d skip out on bedtime stories just because I’m on a different continent? Pfft!” Tony added a dramatic hand gesture to his words. While Peter went to fetch his friend who had probably been listening to their conversation from right outside the door, he asked Happy for an update on the security check and ordered FRIDAY to pull up the e-book version of ‘Cosmos’.

“We’re ready, Mr. Stark,” Peter announced with a yawn. He put down the phone on the small table next to Ned’s side of the sofa bed since he could hear Mr. Stark’s voice just fine from the other side.

As Mr. Stark started to read about how all life on Earth was closely related, Peter couldn’t help but smile at the thought of being cosmically related to Mr. Stark. If he had known that he would be getting Mr. Stark’s affection, he would’ve tried to get bitten much much earlier! He thought about Warren’s warm, soft wings (yes, he had politely asked if he could touch them) and pictured Mr. Stark covering Ned and him with wings of his own. Another yawn tore itself out of his mouth and he slowly drifted off with a peaceful smile on his face.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1) Fun fact: Peter may have worn boxers in the film, but Tom had to wear a thong under the Spider-Man suit XD
> 
> 2) I'd like to share this wonderful manip gif set about a younger Peter idolizing Iron Man before meeting him :) [Gif set](http://mamalaz.tumblr.com/post/162403751577/peter-parker-idolising-iron-man-before-civil-war)
> 
> 3) Thanks to everyone who's still reading this incredibly slow story. Love you all!


	11. Today’s problem: The complicated nature of romance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter finally finds out what happened between Mr. Stark and Professor Xavier in the past. He also learns more about his friends, Silver and Jean, and gets to repay Kitty's kindness in kind. What an informative and productive Sunday.

_  
In the previous chapter…_

Peter had enjoyed a sleepover at Ned’s and had patrolled Queens. Tony had surprised him with a plan to launch Spider-Man merchandise and had promised to take him on a trip or a business trip if he behaved. He had also fulfilled his duty of reading a bedtime story even when he had been far away.

 

Tony found himself alone in the ridiculously large bed tonight. He had politely refused special dessert and was rolling around in bed with only his thoughts. He had asked FRIDAY to put on some gloomy music and was trying to figure out the reason for his sulky mood. Was he homesick after just two days abroad? Or was he feeling under the weather? He had brought a mini version of FRIDAY, so he was unable to order a medical scan. “Urgh…”

He rolled to a fresher part of the bed and closed his eyes. He wished that he was in Charles’ range. He knew that he shouldn’t expect his friend to soothe him every time he felt bad, but he couldn’t help but miss his mental touch. He wondered what Charles and Peter were going to talk about today. Peter had sent him a text earlier, saying that Charles had invited him to the school to have a chat with him. It wasn’t like Peter or Charles went to church on a Sunday, so why not? He loved that his two favorite people got along well, not that he had ever doubted it.

Tony grunted as he moved his left arm. It had never fully healed after he had been crushed by a car in his Iron Man suit. He wished that Peter was here to give him a shoulder massage that might help with the discomfort in his arm. He wished that Rhodey got better and came back to New York already. He wished that his other Avengers friends would call him from wherever they were hiding so that he could hear their voices. He wished for many things, but the only thing within his reach right now was a good bottle of wine on his nightstand.

He sighed and sat up on the bed before pouring himself a glass. He was reminded of Charles who was a connoisseur in wine. They had visited several wineries in Southern France and had met many distinguished sommeliers together. When they had been seeing each other, they had realized that nothing tasted better with wine than a fine kiss. It had been a great excuse to kiss Charles for hours even after the bottle had become empty.

Kissing a telepath was wildly different from kissing regular people. They knew how to intertwine your minds and make you feel like your souls were glued together. They could make you feel every single emotion there was to feel through a single kiss; it was intense and definitely not suitable for weak minds. They could also make you think as if you were kissing on a beautiful beach or in a warm cave while the snow was falling outside. Of course, Charles wasn’t an ordinary telepath. He was the most powerful one on Earth and he was quite the kisser, which meant that all the best kisses he had ever had were undoubtedly with Charles.

“FRI, connect me to Charles, will you?”

FRIDAY: “Right away, sir. Outgoing call to the love of your life.”

Tony snorted and put the phone to his ear.

“Hello? Anthony?”

“Yeah, it’s me. You sound surprised.” Tony felt a smile tug at the corner of his lips. It was never easy to surprise a telepath.

“I just didn’t expect you to call from all the way over there. Is everything all right?”

“It’s a business trip, Charles. Nothing is ever all right. The hotel serves good wine though.”

“And, how much wine did you have?” Charles asked a little warily.

“I’m not drunk if that’s what you’re asking,” Tony explained, “I just… miss you.” It was easier to say it when he wasn’t inside Charles’ range even though his friend wouldn’t look into the deepest valleys of his mind without his permission.

There was a beat before Charles answered, “I miss you too.”

“Great…!” Tony didn’t know what else to say. “Now that we’ve established that, how have you been?”

Charles chuckled. “I’m fine. Just tell me what’s on your mind, darling. Are you bored?”

Tony opened his mouth to deny it when he thought about the question. Was he _bored_? He wasn’t homesick or feeling under the weather? “But if I was bored, why did I decline sex?” he half-spoke to himself.

Charles laughed again. “Because you need something other than sex. Tell me, when was the last time you made anything?”

Tony had to think, which in itself meant that he needed his hands to be busy. It was a good thing that he always travelled with some handy tools and a few pieces of metal.

“Make something, Anthony, and your troubles will go away. But please don’t stay up all night.”

“Okay. But I can’t really think of anything to make. I have so little. I only travel with tools and materials in case I need to fix something, not _make_ something. Do you need anything small?”

Charles thought for a moment. He wasn’t going to turn down a golden opportunity like this. “Do you know what a fidget spinner is?”

“Is it the new coolest thing that all the kids have these days?”

“Yes, something like that.” Charles laughed. “I’m sure Peter could use one. And, if you have more material and time on your hands, I could use a few as well. We have midterms coming up, so I could offer them as prizes.”

“Ah, always the educator.” Tony smiled. He was glad that he could do something for his friend.

“Oh, I’m sorry, dear. If that’s all, I’m afraid one of my students needs my help. Trouble with his powers.”

“I’ll let you get to it. Thanks, Charles. Nobody knows me like you do.”

Charles opened his mouth to say something but decided not to. A student whose power had malfunctioned still needed his help. “Take care, Anthony.”

“You too.” Tony swapped his phone for his Stark pad, ready to find out what exactly a fidget spinner looked like. Making things was always good fun and the prospect of making something for Peter and other kids had brought a smile on his face, his sulky mood long forgotten.

 

“Whoa!” Peter looked around in awe. Kurt had just teleported him from Ned’s backyard to school. Since Team Penny had won the bet, they had chosen their servants for the week from Team Wise. Silver and Kitty had let him pick first because they had thought that the team had won thanks to him. He had picked Kurt, hoping that he would get to spend more time with him. Silver had thought that Kitty’s makeup skills had helped as well, so she had picked next and had chosen Jubilee. That had left Jean for Silver, and Kurt had just completed his first mission.

“This is awesome!” Peter exclaimed. Kurt had kindly teleported him a few times before, but it had always been inside the school. “Thank you so much, Kurt. I had an amazing time. Well, an amazing second…”

Kurt chuckled. “You’re welcome. The professor is waiting for you in the rose garden. I’ll keep your bag in my room.”

“Okay, thanks!” Peter threw his bag in the air and watched Kurt disappear with it. He grinned and skipped towards the rose garden. Another great thing about this school was that it had all kinds of trees and flowers growing, regardless of the climate or soil conditions. They had a little girl whose power was growing plants and Storm provided her with the extra rain. Hank had told him the other day that they would be able to enjoy mangos and coconuts next week in the middle of fall!

He felt like Belle in ‘Beauty and the Beast’ as he smelled a big, red rose at the entrance of the rose garden. Who needed therapy when you could just smell a perfect rose and feel so much better?

_‘Good afternoon, Peter. I hope I’m not the Beast in this scenario,’_ Charles spoke softly into Peter’s mind, knowing that it thrilled the child every time he did so.

_‘Haha, we already have Hank as the Beast! You’d be my wise father, professor.’_

_‘I’m flattered, but don’t ever let Anthony hear you say that.’_

Peter’s face broke into a huge smile as he thought about Mr. Stark. He found the professor on a bench next to a yellow rose bush and sat next to him. “Is it normal to miss him this much? I know he’s only been gone for two days. Or do you think I have attachment issues? You know, after what happened to my dad and uncle…”

Charles shook his head with a fond smile. Even though he was a certified expert on child psychology, he didn’t want to dissect Peter’s mind like a therapist. “Peter, have you ever heard of the word ‘Spielzeug’?”

“Uh, no. I don’t think so. What does it mean?”

“It means ‘plaything’ in German, but it’s also used to describe the energy that some people have. It’s not just people actually. You can find it in certain objects, buildings, art, and places too. You have enhanced senses, Peter. Sensitive people can feel this energy that personally connects with them. Many of our favorite people have it. It makes us feel more alive and more aware of who we are.”

“So I’m normal…?” Peter asked with hope in his voice. “I miss him so much because our energies match?”

“Yes,” Charles reassured him with a smile. “And, also because he’s a remarkable man.”

“He is! He really is!” Peter balled his fists in excitement.

Charles had to pay the price for his comment; he had to listen to twenty minutes of just how remarkable ‘Mr. Stark’ was. He didn’t mind it though. He himself was a huge fan and he missed his dear friend too. It had been quite manageable when they had only communicated through their telepathic link. But now that he got to see his face again thanks to Peter, he couldn’t help but think of him more often. The man was ageing like the finest wine, looking so soft and handsome.

“Can I ask you something about Mr. Stark?” Peter fidgeted with the straw of his juice box that the professor had kindly given him.

“Of course. What do you want to know?” Charles was intrigued.

“What was he like as a child?” Peter had tried asking Mr. Stark himself, but for some reason, he hadn’t been too eager to share stories about his past.

“Oh, he was adorable.” Charles laughed. “Or ‘adorkable’ as you children say these days.”

Peter giggled at the image that the professor sent into his mind. Little Mr. Stark was dressed in a tux with a bow tie and his hair was pushed back with hair gel. He had a goofy yet nervous smile on his face and he was holding a wrapped package. “Aww, he’s so cute! What’s that in his hands?”

“It was my seventh birthday, so he made that gift for me.” Charles felt his heart grow warmer at the memory. “It was a toy robot that responded to a few commands.”

“Wow, really? He looks like he’s only about ten!”

“He was nine. There’s a reason why he went to MIT at fifteen and graduated at nineteen with two master’s degrees.” Charles didn’t hide his pride. It had been an honor and pleasure to grow up with such a good-hearted genius. “You know what he gave me the following year?”

Peter shook his head.

“A toy robot that worked better.” Charles shared the memory of his second Stark robot with him. “Can you guess what he gave me the year after that?”

“A toy robot that worked _even_ better!”

“That’s correct.” Charles patted his student on the head, making him giggle.

“You know… I asked him about you once, but he didn’t say much. I wonder why…” Peter drank his pineapple juice, looking at the professor with his most innocent eyes.

Charles gave the boy a gentle flick to his mind. “If you must know, yes, I was romantically involved with him.”

Peter managed the difficult work of gasping and grinning at the same time. “Why didn’t I get to read about it in the paper?”

Charles didn’t bother answering with words and tapped his temple instead.

“Ooh…” Peter gulped. He had probably just heard one of the best kept secrets ever.

“It started here in my backyard. We were testing the drone he had made. I don’t even remember what it looked like. I was too busy looking at him.” Charles chuckled. “He looked so excited and his mind was brimming with joy and pride. I think I kissed him because I eventually got a little jealous of that drone. But then, he looked at me and he wasn’t thinking about the drone anymore. He was only thinking about me.”

“Aww, my heart…” Peter put his hands over his heart. He thought that he could understand. There was something incredibly thrilling about being at the center of Mr. Stark’s attention.

Charles carried on with his reminiscences, “We used to run together in Central Park and nobody would see us. I think he felt free because he was often judged so harshly in the media. We’d eat hotdogs, sandwiches, and ice cream on a bench with the best view of the water. We’d play card games too and he always suggested strip poker when it was warm. But that’s not for your innocent ears, so let’s skip that part.”

Peter cringed. “I hate to say this, but that totally sounds like something that Mr. Stark would do.”

Charles laughed and Peter thought that he laughed like an angel.

Charles patted a bluebird that had landed on his arm. “You know, he didn’t always make me robots. He also made me a metallic flower that would bloom whenever I smile.”

“Oh my god, that’s so romantic!” Peter loved that he got a corresponding image with each explanation. Telepathy was seriously awesome. “Does it still bloom often?”

“Hmm?” Charles was busy reliving the moment when he had received the precious flower.

Peter thought that he sadly knew the answer to the question that he had just asked, so he came up with another one. “Do you keep it in your office? I don’t think I’ve seen it there.”

Charles’ face turned grim. “No. That was my favorite thing in the world, so I used to keep it in my bedroom. But we had a big explosion not too long ago and I lost it. I’m just glad I kept all the other gifts someplace else.”

Peter was shocked. He hadn’t known that something so scary had happened. “Was someone hurt?”

“No. And, we can thank Silver for that. He showed up in the nick of time to save us all.” Charles gave Peter a wink.

Peter blushed and looked away.

“What? You thought you could pry into my private life and not get pried back?” Charles smiled a little mischievously.

“But I don’t have a private life! Nothing’s going on with anyone,” Peter protested weakly.

“If you say so.” Charles grinned. “So you want to know what happened to us after that?” It was written all over Peter’s mind.

“Yes, please.” Peter knew that he was being nosy, but he couldn’t hear how it had started and not hear how it had ended.

“Well, it wasn’t anything complicated. He got busy with his company and I got busy with my research. One of us would push our date to another day, and then the other one would push it further again. At some point, we started to talk more inside his head and stopped hanging out in person. Then we both got even busier and talked less and less until he got the nerve to get abducted.”

Charles had to take a deep breath. This part of their history was the absolute worst to talk about, but he found it less difficult to talk to Peter; Tony considered him as a son and Peter seemed to have a lot of compassion. “He was gone for three months. _Three_ months! He was last seen testing one of his missiles in Afghanistan, so I flew out there and teamed up with Sergeant Rhodes. I looked _everywhere_ for him, but I couldn’t locate his mind. We didn’t have the Cerebro back then and he could’ve been heavily drugged, but I was still an Omega-level telepath. I should’ve been able to feel his mind.”

Charles took a sip of warm water from his tumbler, hoping that talking about this nightmare would somehow be therapeutic. “Before I got on the plane, I tried to get some information out of Anthony’s second-in-command, Obadiah Stane. I had never liked him and I knew he was involved even before I looked inside his head. But he had only arranged for Anthony to get killed on his way back to the US air base. He had no idea where the Ten Rings’ headquarters was or where they were keeping him. They had asked Stane for more money to get the job done, but I made sure that he didn’t give it to them. I also looked into some local thugs and planted the idea in their minds that they should find Anthony and bring him to the air base, but none of them succeeded. And, that’s when I realized that he must be dead.”

Peter couldn’t hold back his gasp. He knew very well that Mr. Stark had survived, but it was horrible to think that the professor had been forced to come to such a conclusion.

“I realized that nobody was talking because there was nothing to talk about. I couldn’t find him because he was already dead. I thought they had killed him and had disposed of his body even before I had arrived. I knew how annoying Anthony could be when he wanted to. It wouldn’t have surprised me if he had made his captors angry in a matter of minutes.”

Charles looked down at his hands that were firmly held in Peter’s. He tried to find comfort in the soft gesture. “I couldn’t sleep, I couldn’t eat. I was going _crazy_. Then one day, I heard his voice in my head. I thought it was real, but I was just hearing things. I didn’t want to lose hope, but at some point, Sergeant Rhodes and I were searching for his body. Thank god he made a suit and got himself out of there! I only found him when he was wandering in the desert.”

“What happened after that?” Peter bit his lip as he felt the professor’s helplessness, fear, and relief to his bones.

Charles shrugged. “Once he came home, my priority was nursing him back to full health both physically and mentally. I couldn’t just delete and create three months’ worth of new memories, so I had to be careful about what to keep and what to alter. I had to let him know what had happened, but I didn’t want him to be too traumatized. He probably didn’t want to hear me apologize a hundred times each day, so he told me a story about how the rocks in the mountains where he had been kept had looked peculiar. He tried to sell his theory that the rocks had worked against my telepathy, but I don’t know… I never flew back to that dreadful place to check. Perhaps he was right. Or perhaps there was another telepath involved. I don’t know.”

“Then what?” Peter asked with bated breath.

“Then he became Iron Man and got even busier. And, I couldn’t forgive myself for letting him down. I wasn’t there for him when he needed me the most. I couldn’t even look at him without thinking about Afghanistan. I don’t think he particularly wanted to see me either. Then he had something going on with Miss Potts and I met Erik. You know what happened after that. I had an accident and ended up in a chair. Then Erik left me and I was alone. I was close to the ground in every single way while Anthony was flying around in the sky.”

Peter felt his heart dry up and crack open. He could feel dull pain coming from the professor and he could only imagine how heartbroken Mr. Stark must’ve been to see his best friend and former lover unable to walk. “So he made this exoskeleton suit for you.”

“Yes, he did. And, it made me fall in love with him all over again.” Charles willed his tears away. He hated looking weak in front of his students. He didn’t even cry anymore; he had seen too many things to feel that upset. But apparently, the great Tony Stark could still manage to pull some tears out of him. “He was brilliant and caring, but I reacted badly. I didn’t want to see him look so sad and angry all the time, so I pushed him away. I hit the bottle hard and became someone that didn’t deserve him.”

“Are you still with Mr. Lehnsherr?” Peter asked carefully.

“He comes and goes. I don’t even know anymore.”

Peter’s shoulders drooped. “I always thought that Mr. Stark was single because he was a superhero.”

Charles patted him on the shoulder. “Wouldn’t they be too lonely then? I think they need someone by their side even more than other people.”

“But what if their loved ones get kidnapped?”

Charles needed a moment. He was reminded of Afghanistan all over again.

“Oh my god! I’m sorry, professor. I wasn’t thinking. I’m sorry!” Peter was quick to apologize.

“It’s all right.” Charles gave him a sad smile. “I think you should explain to them what kind of risk they’re taking. And, if they’re still willing to take that risk, well, you enjoy your time with them and hope for the best.”

Peter nodded frantically and stood up. He was only fifteen years old. He knew that he had asked for it, but he didn’t know how to handle a beautiful but sad love story that involved a kidnapping and a traumatic accident. “Thank you for sharing your story, professor. And, don’t worry. I won’t tell anyone.”

Charles poured a heavy bucket of comfort into Peter’s mind as he ran out of the rose garden. Hopefully, he would be able to find more solace in his friends’ company.

 

Peter kept running until he spotted Jubilee and Kitty sitting on a bench. As he slowed down and got closer, he saw that Kurt was hanging upside down from a nearby tree, supported only by his strong blue tail.

“Peter!” Kurt waved at him with a toothy smile.

“Hey, guys.” Peter found himself smiling back easily. “What are you guys doing?”

“I’m doing Her Highness’ nails as her faithful servant,” Jubilee said dramatically while Kurt giggled.

“As you can see, my servant has an attitude,” Kitty pointed out with a grin.

“Where’s Silver and Jean?” Peter asked as he held out his hands to Kurt who was still hanging upside down from a high branch.

“They’re near a mental hospital,” Kitty answered while Jubilee focused on her handiwork. “Silver wanted Jean to look into patients’ minds.”

“What for?” Peter jumped into the air and let Kurt catch his hands. He chuckled as Kurt started to swing him back and forth.

“For crazy ideas, no? What else could it be?” Kurt used all of his strength to keep Peter swinging.

“I thought Jean didn’t like to invade other people’s minds,” Peter said a little worriedly. He let go of Kurt’s hands and got back on the ground.

“Don’t worry. He won’t push her too much. They’re better friends than people think,” Jubilee explained, “Silver hasn’t been with us for a long time, but he helps Jean whenever she has trouble dealing with all the voices in her head.”

“I thought she had some kind of walls?” Peter asked as he sat down on the grass.

“She does,” Jubilee went on, “but she still gets bad days when the walls won’t work properly. Professor used to help her reinforce them or completely turn off her powers, but she prefers leaving her mind alone and changing her environment instead. So ever since Silver took her to the middle of the forest in a split second, they’ve been great friends.”

“Jean’s range isn’t that wide yet, but it’s getting wider and wider,” Kitty added, “so it’s great that Silver can travel far in such a short time.”

“They even went all the way to Alaska once to see a brown bear!” Kurt told Peter. “Jean took a picture of the bear. It’s on her Instagram.”

“And, she didn’t fall in love with him?” Peter blinked. His own heart was beating faster just by hearing such a cute story.

“I think she did for a little while,” Kitty answered. “But she stayed with Scott for whatever reason and Silver was busy dealing with the fact that Magneto was his dad.”

“Oh…” Peter said. “It looks like everyone has a romantic story to tell except me, haha. The most romantic thing I’ve ever done with Liz was taking her to homecoming and abandoning her after two minutes.”

“Who’s Liz?” Kurt asked with wide eyes.

“She’s a girl that I dreamed about for a long time. But when I finally got a chance, I screwed up.” Peter looked at the twinkling eyes of his friends and laughed. He told them how he and Ned had used to admire her during lunchtime and how he had managed to ask her to homecoming, only to find out that her father was the Vulture.

“I’m sorry to hear that.” Kitty gave him a sad smile.

Peter shrugged. “I guess it wasn’t meant to be.” He had already put the lid on that chapter of his life. Then he remembered something he wanted to do. “Kurt, could you please take me to your room, so I can change into my Spider-Man suit?”

Kitty gasped as the boys vanished into thin air. She looked at Jubilee, wondering what Peter was up to. Jubilee shook her head, having no idea either. She yawned, tired from all the slaving that she had done all day. They didn’t have to wait long until the boys came back. But Kurt only appeared for a second before holding Jubilee’s arm and disappearing again.

“What was that about?” Kitty asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Kitty, you were kind to share your powers with me. So I was wondering if you’d let me return the favor.” Peter smiled sheepishly. “It’s probably not as awesome as flying, but it feels pretty good to swing with the wind.”

“Oh!” Kitty brightened up. “Cool! Wow, that’s so cool. How do we do this?”

“Um… I think I need to hug you.” Peter scratched the back of his head. “I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’m not needy or anything. I can totally live without your hugs…”

Kitty laughed. “How about you give me a piggy back ride? That’s going to be less awkward, right?”

“Yeah! That’s a great idea!” Peter beamed until he realized very soon that it wasn’t such a brilliant idea after all. It was embarrassing to try to crouch in a skin-tight suit in front of a girl.

Kitty sensed his hesitation. “Just stand straight. I’ll get up there by myself.”

Peter was about to ask how when Kitty flew up to his back. He let out a sigh of relief and supported the back of her legs with his hands. But alas! Another problem presented itself once Kitty put her arms around his neck. Without the mask, there was nothing to stop her breath from tickling his neck. “Um… I think I’ll put the mask on. There’s going to be a lot of branches, right? I don’t want to scratch my face.”

“Yeah, you do that.” Kitty held on with her limbs, wondering if she was heavy. Peter was very strong, but she still didn’t want him to feel her weight too much. Urgh, if she had known that this was going to happen, she would’ve skipped that cherry pie at lunch!

“Ready?” Peter asked as he turned off KAREN. He didn’t need KAREN to blurt out embarrassing things about him in front of Kitty.

“Yep.” Kitty wished that Peter would just start swinging already. Then she would have a good excuse to have a heart that was beating too fast.

“Let me know if you want me to slow down.” Peter made sure that his passenger’s legs were tight around his waist. His hands had to be free to shoot out webs. It was a relief to know that she could fly in case he dropped her.

“Let me ask you something. Are you always this nice to people you take on a ride?” Kitty asked as she tried not to think about how Peter had touched her legs.

Peter grinned. “I’ve only taken a few people on a ride for work purposes. You’re actually the first one I’m taking on for fun.”

“Oh my… I think it’s time for me to swoon,” Kitty said playfully and got a clear laughter out of the boy. Then they finally started swinging. “Oh my god!”

Peter chuckled and swung from tree to tree in a fast pace. He had a passenger that could fly, so he had to bring out something extra to satisfy her. He took sharp turns and felt Kitty hang on tighter. Okay, that wasn’t something that he had expected to happen, but he kind of liked it. And, it was a really good thing that he was wearing a mask; his furious blush was safely hidden.

Kitty rested the side of her head on Peter’s shoulder to protect her face. She had no idea if they were supposed to chat, but she had no complaints enjoying the ride in silence. The ‘thwip’ of the webs, the chirping of the birds, and the whistle of the wind created a harmony that was complete without any vocals.

Peter lost his balance a little when Kitty moved her head to the other side. He could smell the shampoo in her hair even through the mask. It smelled lovely, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on its ingredients. So he was trying to take a guess when he aimed for a weak branch and the branch broke. “Oh, shit!”

They started to fall. Peter pushed out his arms and legs to buffer his friend against the impact, but he never touched the ground.

“Surprise!” Kitty smiled.

Peter blinked his eyes. They were floating in the air, only inches away from the ground. “Whoa, thanks! That was close.”

Kitty gently lowered them to the ground and stood up. “How about we use our legs from here?”

“Sure.” Peter jumped up and took off his mask. He was about to take a step forward when…

“Ahem.”

He looked at Kitty and saw that she was holding out a hand. “You do know that I can’t date, right? I’m a superhero,” he said solemnly.

“Yeah, yeah, you keep telling yourself that. And, who said anything about dating? We’re just taking a walk.”

Peter pursed his lips and thought for a moment. They were just two friends taking a walk together; there was nothing weird about it. Plus, he had put on hand cream regularly for the past few days. He couldn’t possibly let all that hard work go to waste. That was the only reason why he took Kitty’s hand and ventured deeper into the forest.

 


	12. Today’s problem: The busy red dot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter feels like he is slowly dying from lack of exposure to Mr. Stark's healing presence. But thankfully, he finds a little bit of comfort in learning how Mr. Stark found him and he gets a special visitor who is ready to whisk him away to a marvelous place. Tony feels like he can't catch a break with this parenting stuff, but he is glad that he got to know Peter after all these years and he can't wait to make special plans for him in the future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late update! I had to battle with writer's block. I can only hope that it's gone for now :)

_  
In the previous chapter…_

Peter had found out that Mr. Stark and Professor Xavier had been romantically involved in the past. He hadn’t been able to handle the heavy story and had run to his friends. Thankfully Kitty had been around to get a piggyback ride from him and swing through the forest together. Meanwhile Tony had been bored out of his mind despite his busy schedule on his business trip and had made fidget spinners.

 

“FRIDAY, I think I’m sick,” Peter announced as he slid lower in his chair in Mr. Stark’s mini lab. He had finished his homework and was trying to study for midterms. Of course, he could do it perfectly well in his own room, but where was the fun in that?

FRIDAY: “Why would you think you’re sick?”

“Because my head hurts and I don’t feel like eating. I didn’t even get ice cream after lunch!”

FRIDAY: “That’s so alarming, Peter. I’m sure your whole world shook.”

“It did!” Peter let out a miserable sound and pushed his nose into Mr. Stark’s pillow that he was using as a cushion. It was like getting scent therapy, but the scent had faded and wasn’t helping him much anymore.

FRIDAY: “But I didn’t know that you could get sick. Is it possible that you just don’t want to study?”

Peter gasped. What a wild accusation! Okay, his mind hadn’t exactly been focused on studying ever since he had gotten the spider bite, but he was doing much better in this new school. He was studying with older students in many of his classes, which meant that he had to constantly bring his ‘A’ game. He had thought that he was smart (after all, he had been part of the academic decathlon team), but there were a lot of super smart kids in his new school. Besides, he didn’t want to disappoint Mr. Stark or May with bad test results, so he should probably stop whining and get back to studying. “But I really do feel sick…”

FRIDAY: “Would you like me to give you a scan?”

“Yes, please.” Peter thought that the A.I. was cooing at him as if he was a baby, but he wasn’t about to refuse. So he stood up and let FRIDAY do her work.

FRIDAY: “All clear, Peter. You’re perfectly healthy and you will have no trouble studying.”

“Are you sure? That scan didn’t take very long.” Peter flopped back down into his chair.

FRIDAY: “If you don’t believe me, do you want me to send the results to Mr. Stark’s doctor and have them confirmed?”

Peter jumped. “No, no, no! If you do that, Mr. Stark is going to hear about it and I don’t want to bother him! He’s supposed to come home tomorrow. I don’t want to do anything that might mess up his schedule, okay? We both know I’ve suffered more than enough.”

He shuddered as he looked back at the past few days. Time had slowed down to a maddening crawl and it had stayed like that no matter how busily he had filled up his days. He had asked Kurt to teleport him to various parts of New York for patrols and had studied in the evenings. May had been busy with her new job and had come home late, so he had come up to the lab to enjoy FRIDAY’s company. He had also sent videos of his days to Mr. Stark and had gotten phone calls for bedtime stories, but he missed hearing Mr. Stark’s heartbeat. When he had told him that, Mr. Stark had amplified the sound of his heartbeat through a stethoscope so that it would be heard clearly over the phone, but it just wasn’t the same as hearing it nearby. He had appreciated the gesture though and his love and respect for the man had grown even more.

Peter spun the fidget spinner that Mr. Stark had made for him. It seemed like a waste of talent for the great man to make something so insignificant, but he loved it and carried it everywhere in his pocket. He was going to make sure to never lose it and wanted to buried or burnt with it when he died; it wasn’t as expensive as the Spider-Man suit so he hoped that it would be okay. Yes, he’d like to challenge the whole world and see if anyone fanboyed over Mr. Stark harder than him. Let them try.

“FRI?” Peter asked as he hugged Mr. Stark’s pillow. “Were you around when Mr. Stark found me?”

FRIDAY: “Yes, I was. He always has me looking for repetitive anomalies. You were an anomaly that showed up in Queens one day and never left. Mr. Stark studied the extensive footage that I had compiled about you for a long time. He observed you saving and helping people and talking to them. He wanted every piece of information I could find on you and after reading it carefully, he told me that he had found ‘a new element’.”

Peter sat up straight with a gasp. He knew what a new element meant for Mr. Stark. The man had once found a new chemical element while trying to find a replacement for the palladium core in his arc reactor.

FRIDAY: “As you know, there was a time when Mr. Stark was dying from palladium poisoning. He had to finish his father’s research if he wanted to survive. He needed that new element to save his life. You were like that element, Peter. He saw hope in you when he was afraid that he might lose everyone around him. He held onto you and used all of his knowledge and experience for your Spider-Man suits. You only saw the final product, but he made a few prototypes before settling on the one you have. He tested them himself vigorously and hoped that you would accept it.”

Peter couldn’t believe what he was hearing. The suit was the best thing on this planet (well, second-best thing if you counted Mr. Stark as a ‘thing’), so he was obviously going to _accept_ it. And, it was Mr. Stark who had thrown him a lifeline when he had been scared out of his mind with nobody to rely on. It would’ve been great even if Mr. Stark had only contacted him and had checked on him once or twice a year. He would’ve felt so much better, just knowing that someone (his idol of all people!) understood what he was going through. But shockingly, Mr. Stark had wanted to be his mentor and father figure and had been so generous and affectionate.

“You know I was at the Stark Expo when I first met him, right?” Peter reminisced dreamily.

FRIDAY: “Yes.”

“Well, I had to throw a lot of tantrums to go there. May thought I was too young to stay up that late into the evening. But Uncle Ben said he would keep a good eye on me and promised to bring me back home safe. I thought the highlight of that day was seeing Mr. Stark from so close and getting his autograph. But oh boy was I wrong! The Hammer bots started shooting at people and I lost Ben in the chaos. I didn't know what to do! I was scared, but then I thought ‘What would Mr. Stark do?’ He would try to save people! So I stood there with my Iron Man helmet and glove, waiting for a robot to show up. And, when it did, I held up my left hand, ready to fire.”

FRIDAY: “What happened next?”

“Mr. Stark came out of nowhere and fired first! He saved my life even before I was Spider-Man. I’m very grateful, but I’m also embarrassed to think that he was this child genius who built robots that responded to voice commands while I was a kid that didn’t even know that my Iron Man glove wasn’t real.”

FRIDAY: “Is it okay for me to laugh, Peter?”

Peter was about to say ‘no’ when his phone beeped. Was it Mr. Stark? He was quick to grab it and read the text. It was from Silver: _‘What’s up, P? Busy?’_

He typed back: _‘Nope. Just trying to study for midterms. What about you?’_ Instead of getting another text, his phone started to ring. “Hello?”

“Hey, I’m in front of this cute little facility. Kurt gave me the address. I hope that’s okay.”

“You’re here?” Peter brightened up.

“Yeah. I expected more paps though.”

“They probably know Iron Man isn’t around. Do you want to come up or should I go down?” Peter was already running out the lab.

“You should come down in winter clothes if you want to come to Alaska with me.”

“Alaska?!” Peter ran faster to his apartment. “What are we doing there?”

“Have you ever seen the aurora? You looked pretty interested about it in class and Kurt told me that you liked the story of me taking Jean to Alaska, so…”

Peter’s jaw dropped. “Oh my god! Give me five minutes! Do I need to pack anything? My passport?”

Silver shrugged. “I don’t think you’re going to need it, but why not? I brought water and snack, so that’s covered.”

“Okay. Five minutes!” Peter hung up.

 

Silver looked up at the dark sky as he listened to the music blaring through his headphone. He should be studying at home, but did studying really matter in the grand scheme of things? He’d rather train himself to run faster so that he would be ready for his missions when he turned eighteen in a few months. And, if he wanted some decent company while he ran, where was the harm in that? He checked the time on his smartwatch and frowned. Only two minutes had passed. He was still trying to figure out if time was his best friend or his worst enemy, but it seemed to be on his side tonight since Peter was making time for him.

He banged his head to the music and felt the rhythm in his pulse. What was it that drew him to Peter? He preferred being alone, so this was rather new to him. He didn’t mean to be rude or harsh, but he didn’t think that it was Peter’s powers; there were plenty of powers at school that he found more intriguing. The cute, boyish face then? The sense of humor? The brain power perhaps? The unshakeable positivity? The heart of gold? It must be the unique combination of all these elements that made up Peter. Urgh, while it felt exciting and fresh to like someone, it was also unnerving. What did he expect from the boy who had announced that he didn’t plan to date anyone?

“Sorry for keeping you waiting!” Peter jumped the last few steps after checking that the last paparazzo had gone home and that nobody was watching.

“No problem.” Silver got up from the nearby bench and gave him a playful salute.

“Wow, you look very… warm and nice.” Peter gave his friend the onceover. He thought that the older boy looked cute in full ski gear, complete with ski goggles on his head and ski gloves tied in a string around his neck. He was also wearing a backpack and running shoes, looking like a model for winter sportswear.

“Thanks. You don’t look too warm though.” Silver raised an eyebrow.

“Ah, I’ve got my suit under these. Nothing like a Stark heater to warm you up!” Peter held up a thumb. “So we’re really going to see the aurora?”

“Yep, we’re going to Fairbanks. I checked the weather and it isn’t cloudy at all. And, today’s Kp index is 6, so we’re in luck.” Silver grinned.

“Oh my god, six! That’s awesome! We’re definitely going to see it then!” Peter squealed. “Are you going to run all the way there?”

“Yep. You have your Stark tech and I have my McCoy tech.” Silver held up his left wrist so that Peter could see the app on his smartwatch that Hank had made for him. It provided him with the shortest and the most runnable path from point A to point B much more accurately than any other app. “We should get you back before your aunt comes home. Let’s hurry.”

“Okay.” Peter put on the Spider-Man mask so that he wouldn’t hurt his face while Silver put on his goggles. He enjoyed the tingle of excitement that shot through his body as Silver held his arm and wrapped a protective hand around the back of his neck.

“If you need a break, just raise your left hand,” Silver said as he held up Peter’s left hand to show him how to do it.

“Hahaha, like when you’re at the dentist.”

“Yeah, but I’ll actually stop when you raise your hand. And, it’s obviously going to be more fun than going to the dentist. Unless you have a weak stomach of course,” Silver joked as he tickled the back of Peter’s neck.

“Haha, I don’t really get sick. And, I think we should be more worried about that cramp you might get in your legs!” Peter joked back.

“Oh, don’t worry. I can’t run that fast when I have a ragdoll tagging along.” Silver gave him an evil grin.

“A ra…”

Silver started running before Peter could finish the word. He wanted to give his friend some time to get used to the feeling, so he started with a light jog. Luckily, Peter’s body was enhanced and he was in his Spider-Man suit, so he could probably push it harder than usual. Since he had company, he paid extra attention to his surroundings. They were moving so fast, so even the smallest collision could have the biggest impact on their bodies. He stopped often to check on Peter and got bright smiles every single time. It was funny to see how the smiles got brighter as they got closer to their destination.

Peter was giddy with joy as he realized that he could now add ‘Canada’ to the very short list of countries that he had visited. He was going places and he couldn’t wait to see all the new things that were waiting for him in different corners of the Earth. He was chilling like a limp doll as Silver sped them through the Canadian countryside when he noticed that his headache was gone. Not that he wasn’t happy about it, but given the speed that they were traveling at, shouldn’t his head hurt even more? Hmm, perhaps it was the fresh air that helped. Or perhaps it was the thrill of secretly being so far away from home. Or perhaps it was the company that he kept.

“We’re here.” Silver came to a stop and pointed at the sky. “Ta-dah!”

“Whoa!” Peter kept his mask on and zoomed in with his Spidey eyes. The sight before him was truly magnificent. Despite his scientific knowledge about auroras, the soft green lights made him feel like they had stepped into a different world. He looked around just in case there were elves or fairies and caught Silver looking up at the sky. He seemed to be mesmerized and rightfully so. “Do you want to take a closer look with my Spidey eyes?”

“Yeah, sure. Thanks.” Silver pulled the mask halfway down his face and narrowed his eyes to zoom in. “Wow, this is awesome!”

“I know! I’m so glad that Mr. Stark made me this suit!” Peter smiled happily. He was also glad for once that the baby monitor protocol allowed the suit to film everything. He could go back home and retrace their steps; watch what kind of places and people they had passed along the way. “Would you like to sit?”

Silver nodded, not that he would admit that his legs were tired. He watched Peter shoot webs between two trees to make something that looked like a short hammock with a backrest. It didn’t look particularly comfortable, but he wasn’t going to be picky when they were at the edge of a forest. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.” Peter was about to make another seat when he felt Silver’s hand on his wrist.

“You can just sit with me.” Silver patted the space next to him. He was glad that he still had half of the Spider-Man mask on; it made things less awkward. “We could save webs, you know. No point in wasting them.”

“Uh, that’s true… Okay. Just move a little.” Peter sat down as soon as Silver made some room for him. He tried not to compare the situation to where couples took a shower together ‘to save water.’ This was a totally different scenario.

Silver returned the mask to its owner and opened his backpack. “Here. Help yourself. Mom made us sandwiches because I told her we were going to study together.”

Peter laughed. “In winter gear?”

“Well, I told her we had to go someplace cold to stay awake while studying.”

“There’s no way she bought that.” Peter chuckled.

“I know.” Silver chuckled along. “I think she’s just happy that I stopped bringing the police to our doorstep. You know, misdemeanors and all.” He had once committed a felony by getting his dad out of the secret underground prison in the Pentagon, but Charles, Hank, and Logan had been with him, so that didn’t count. Besides, Charles had made it clear that nobody was to speak about it.

Peter grabbed one of the sandwiches and spotted bananas and coconut waters inside the bag.

“Tennis players eat bananas and runners drink coconut water.” Silver took off his ski gloves and wolfed down his BLT sandwich.

“Ooh, I see…” Peter attacked his sandwich too.

“I run a lot, so I eat a lot,” Silver explained. “Mom’s thrilled that I usually eat at school. I’m thrilled too, I guess. Emery’s cooking is way better than Mom’s. They’re not even in the same dimension.”

The boys shared a chuckle before Peter asked, “Do you mind if I make a quick video for Mr. Stark? He’s probably seen the aurora before, but just in case…”

“Go ahead. I have plenty of stuff to eat anyway.” Silver focused on his sandwich as he listened to Peter chat animatedly while holding up his phone to the sky. He wondered how Peter had managed to feel so close to Stark in a matter of weeks. Was it because they had lived together for a week? He thought about all the things that Stark had given Peter; a cool backpack, nice shoes, expensive shades, a whole variety of monogrammed stationery, and a personally made fidget spinner. He remembered how Peter had also bragged about joint patrols and Stark reading him bedtime stories. The man was apparently more attentive and kinder than he looked; nothing like his own dad.

He figured that he should be grateful that his biological father was alive and sent his mother money. But he had never done anything meaningful with him. He was just a name and a face that coughed up child support each month. Perhaps he would’ve had a better relationship with him if he had accepted the invitation into the Brotherhood. But he liked Charles’ school; they had a good system, he was popular, and he felt like he belonged there. He also had no intention of growing up as a villain. He wanted to go on missions for the X-Men, not for a group of deranged people who gave mutants a bad name. He admitted that he had used to have slightly questionable morals (he blamed his dad’s genes for that) in the past, but he had been working on it and it was going pretty well.

“I love you, Mr. Stark! Talk to you later!”

Silver was brought out of his thoughts by the shock of what he had just heard. Really? They said ‘I love you’s already? Wow, perhaps Peter’s real superpower was bonding. That must be why he was attracted to him. What did it feel like hearing ‘I love you’ from Peter anyway?

“Hello? Buddy?” Peter moved his hand in front of his friend’s face.

“Uh, yeah.” Silver grabbed the hand that was still hovering in the air and put it down on the seat. He tried to take his hand off Peter’s, but Peter flipped his hand and held onto his.

“My hand is cold,” Peter announced, his eyes glued to the sky. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to see the look on Silver’s face.

“Well, it _is_ freezing.” Silver decided to roll with it and kept his hand in Peter’s grip. Peter apparently had a bold, confident side that came out once in a while. “What’s going on with you and Kit?”

Peter bit his lip. “I don’t know. I think she wants to go out with me, but ah…”

“Okay.” Silver accepted the answer for what it was. At least, it seemed like an honest one; better than something like ‘nothing’. “What’s going on with you and me then?”

Peter groaned. “I don’t know. I’ve only ever _looked_ at Liz. We’ve never really done anything. I don’t know how to do this or how not to. I mean, can I really stay away from you guys? I know I should figure things out quickly. I’m sorry. I’m not trying to use you or mess with you. I’m really sorry.” He tried to pull his hand out of Silver’s grip, but the older boy wouldn’t let him.

“It’s okay. For now.” Silver gently squeezed Peter’s hand. “Just don’t take too much time and break our hearts.”

Peter nodded and carefully rested his head on Silver’s shoulder. “This is nice.” He looked up at the aurora and let out a happy sigh. It was deadly quiet and the only thing that he could hear was their heartbeats. He hoped that Silver’s heart was beating a little fast because of him.

“Yeah, it’s nice,” Silver agreed and gave Peter a peck on the top of his head. This was a date no matter what Peter thought and he was going to make the most of it.

 

Meanwhile, Tony was enjoying breakfast in his hotel suite as he logged onto his Stark pad. Peter had told him through his daily videos that he was patrolling for hours each day, going a little farther every time. He just wanted to know if the kid had made it home by now. He checked the tracker in the Spider-Man suit and blinked at the pad. The red dot was currently in freaking Alaska! Then the dot suddenly moved at an inhuman speed and he had to snort.

“Oh, so now we’re going out with boys to the end of the Earth on a school night, aren’t we?” he muttered as he shook his head. “And, I’m sure they’re just ‘hanging out’, FRI.”

FRIDAY: “No comment, sir.”

Tony wondered if he should talk to May about this, but they weren’t breaking any laws or putting themselves in harm’s way –unless they went to Alaska to spar with a bear. The fact that the red dot showed up in Alaska meant that Peter had taken the precaution to wear the Spider-Man suit under his clothes. He checked if the suit’s heating function was working properly and resisted the urge to access the baby monitor feed. If there was something that Peter wanted him to see, he would surely get it in a video. How mature and rational was this new attitude of his? Charles could drop his stupid helicopter song.

“FRI, do you think it might be time for the safe sex talk?” Tony tapped his chin and cut the sausage into smaller pieces.

FRIDAY: “I think it would be wise to talk about it as soon as possible, sir.”

“As soon as possible?” Tony paled. “Why would you say that? What are they doing right now?”

FRIDAY: “I only mean that Peter is almost sixteen and teenagers are known to be impulsive and unpredictable.”

“That is sadly very true.” Tony shuddered as he thought about his own teenage years. Thankfully, Peter didn’t seem to be anything like that. To be honest, Tony didn’t want to have a safe sex talk with Peter. He wanted to lock Peter in a tower so that the evil world couldn’t corrupt him, but the kid would just smash the window and climb down the wall with his superpower. Of course, there were other ways to handle this. He could simply tie the problematic person to a rocket and shoot him out to space. But he doubted that Peter would be happy with such a solution and strangely enough, none of the parenting books had recommended such an efficient method. What a shame.

Urgh, if there ever was going to be a safe sex talk, he would have to handle it. He didn’t think that May would be up for the task and he would know more about the subject. He could give advice for both guys and girls, and it was probably less awkward when it was a guy-to-guy talk. But really, out of all the kids at school, did he have to pick Lehnsherr’s son? What was wrong with Kitty? He hoped that she still had a chance with Peter. He hated to think that he would have to be on speaking terms with someone who had incapacitated his friend and disappeared, leaving him to deal with the traumatic aftermath without him.

“FRIDAY, I think I’m getting a headache.” Tony groaned as he sipped a bit of coffee.

FRIDAY: “The painkillers are in the top drawer of the left nightstand, and it is recommended to think about something or someone you like when you’re in pain.”

Tony’s thoughts naturally flowed towards Peter as he got up to fetch a pill. He remembered the first time when he had seen the kid. He hadn’t known back then that it was Peter, but Peter had said that they had met at one of the Stark Expos. One of Justin Hammer’s imbecile robots had been standing in front of a boy, ready to shoot him. Luckily, he had gotten to the kid just in time to take care of the robot. The boy had jumped in surprise, but he had been unharmed. He hadn’t remembered what had happened next, but according to Peter, he had said ‘Nice work, kid.’

Fast forward to pre-Civil War era: he had ordered FRIDAY to track the kid’s movement anytime he was outside. The unique homemade suit had made things easier for FRIDAY even when she couldn’t use the facial recognition program. Back then, the boy had only been a red dot that showed up everywhere in Queens. It was only after he had watched how the kid interacted with both the good guys and the bad guys had he learned the name ‘Peter Parker’. And, once he had found out that Peter was interested in science and had a knack for it, that he didn’t have a father figure in his life, and that nobody seemed to know that he had superpowers, he had wanted to get to know the kid in person.

He popped a pill in his mouth and swallowed it with a glass of water. To think that he would’ve never gotten to know Peter if he had been even a second late at the Expo. Putting a kid in such a dangerous situation had been bad enough, but to think that it had been his precious Peter… He was glad and relieved that they had both managed to stay alive long enough to know each other.

FRIDAY: “Peter has sent you a video, sir. Should I play it on the big screen?”

“Yeah, you do that. Impeccable timing, I’d say.” Tony sat back at the breakfast table and kept his eyes on the screen. The kid’s high and excited voice made him laugh. What had he even laughed at before the kid had flipped into his life? Well, the past didn’t matter. It was the future that they were going to build together that should get his focus. And, speaking of the future, he thought that it would be a good idea to introduce Harley and Peter to each other. He was thinking that Harley could stay over for a weekend after the midterms were over. “FRI, would you call dear Harley for me?”

FRIDAY: “Right away, sir.”

Tony smiled, dreaming of the day that his boys got along like brothers.

 


	13. Today’s problem: A potential threat to the school

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter is beyond excited that Mr. Stark is coming back tonight. But before he can welcome his hero back home, he has to go through a long day. Thankfully, it's not at all unpleasant as he gets to experience new things and provide help. Meanwhile, Tony hates that he's away on a day like this, but his day certainly ends on a high note.

_  
In the previous chapter…_

Peter had been withering without Mr. Stark’s presence nearby, but thankfully, Silver had taken him to Alaska to see the aurora. He had reassured him that it was okay not to know what to do with his and Kitty’s attention, but he had also told Peter not to take too long to figure things out. Tony had found out that the kid now went out with boys to the end of the Earth on school nights and had wondered if it was time for a safe sex talk.

 

“Ehehehe…”

Peter couldn’t handle the excitement as he skipped merrily towards the school gate. Mr. Stark was coming home tonight! Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes! As he got closer to the gate, he noticed that he was going to ‘Xavier’s School for Gifted _Gangsters_ ’ today. Oh, Silver… Happy had just dropped him off since he hadn’t wanted to trouble Kurt to teleport him from home to school so early in the morning. Speak of the devil, Kurt was walking out of the building with a tea tray. His blue friend gave him a sleepy smile and waved hello with his tail.

“Good morning, Peter.”

“Morning!” Peter smiled back. “Can I join you?”

“Of course.” Kurt yawned and settled down on his favorite bench.

“Late night?” Peter yawned as well. Only psychopaths (and those who had yawned recently) didn’t yawn along with the others, so it was great to know that he wasn’t one.

“Yes. So much to study.”

“Aww, what a good boy!”

“Woof!” Kurt wagged his tail like a dog and giggled when Peter patted him on the head. He poured his friend a cup of tea with his tail since Peter seemed to love it whenever he used it.

“Thanks, man.”

“You’re welcome.” Kurt smiled and poured himself a cup as well. “You look very happy today.”

“I do?” That was Peter’s cue to gush about Mr. Stark coming home tonight and Silver taking him to Alaska last night.

“Oh, how nice! Did you get a good night kiss in front of your house? They always do that in movies.” Kurt chuckled at the uncomfortable look on Peter’s face.

“Uh, no. But I might’ve given him one,” Peter told him in his smallest voice.

“Really?” Kurt was a little surprised. He hadn’t thought that Peter had it in him.

“It was on the cheek! A very quick peck! He probably didn’t even…” Peter stopped talking. His Spidey senses were tingling.

“What’s wrong?” Kurt whispered as he looked at the same direction as Peter.

“I think someone’s at the gate,” Peter whispered back.

“You mean someone dangerous?”

“I don’t know if they’re dangerous, but they’re definitely suspicious.”

“I’ll go see.”

Peter wanted to tell him to be careful, but Kurt had already teleported. He pulled out his Spider-Man suit and started to change just in case. Something didn’t feel right and he could only hope that he was wrong.

Kurt hid behind a tree near the front gate and looked around. He couldn’t see anyone. There weren’t even any wild animals around. He teleported to Logan’s hut and then to Hank’s room. Logan was their official security guard who had access to the security cameras and Hank had a device that detected various types of energy. He also alerted Professor Xavier through their telepathic link and came back to the bench.

“So?” Peter asked with bated breath.

Kurt shook his head. “I couldn’t see anyone. But I told Logan, Hank, and the Professor.”

“Good job. Can you take me there? Maybe KAREN can pick up something that’s invisible to the naked eye.”

Kurt put his hand on Peter’s shoulder and they reappeared behind the same tree. Peter put on his mask and let KAREN observe and analyze. But KAREN told him that there wasn’t anything to analyze and warned him that Mr. Stark hadn’t programmed her to detect any alien activities.

“Alien activities?” Peter didn’t like the sound of that even as a remotely possible scenario. The world had been too close to losing Iron Man the last time aliens had paid a visit. “Maybe I was wrong. I’m overexcited today, so maybe my senses were trying to balance things out.”

“Yeah, maybe. Or maybe it was a ghost? Of a small, cute animal that died in the forest?” Kurt tried to lighten the mood even though the idea of a ghost didn’t sound particularly uplifting.

Peter gasped. “Hang on. My senses are tingling again.”

Kurt looked around. “Oh, that’s because Hank is coming over.”

“No, it’s coming from…”

“Boo!” Silver touched his friends’ noses and chuckled as they screamed and flailed their arms. “What are you guys doing behind a tree?”

“Jesus Christ, Silver! You almost gave us a heart attack!” Peter needed several deep breaths to slow down his heart rate.

“Sorry. I didn’t think you’d get that frightened. What’s going on?”

“Was it you earlier?” Kurt asked, looking a little light blue.

“What was me earlier?” Silver tilted his head. “Did something happen? I only came just now.”

“Hey, boys.” Hank appeared with a device that Peter had never seen before. “Why don’t you go talk inside? Just in case.”

“Good idea.” Kurt could tell that Peter and Silver wanted to stay and see what Hank’s fancy device was going to pick up, but he didn’t want to take any chances. So he teleported them to the bench to gather their belongings and then to an empty classroom.

“Maybe it’s a mutant who can turn invisible,” Silver suggested after hearing the story.

“Do you know anyone like that?” Peter asked as the three of them looked out the window.

“No. But perhaps Charles does.” Silver noticed that Charles and Logan had joined Hank near the gate.

“Why do you always call him ‘Charles’?” Peter understood that it wasn’t a great time to ask irrelevant questions, but he really wanted to know.

“Because the word ‘professor’ sounds so uptight. He’s not as uptight as he might look.”

“Shh… Can you guys hear what they’re saying?” Kurt pricked up his ears.

“Oh, KAREN can help us with that.” Peter activated the ‘enhanced reconnaissance’ mode and stood in the middle. He invited Silver and Kurt to put their ear next to each of his and listen with him.

Hank: “I don’t know. I haven’t seen anything like this before. We’ll have to talk to Tony.”

Charles: “He’s not back yet, so we’ll have to call him.”

Hank: “I’ll get us a secure line right away.”

[The sound of Hank rushing back inside]

Logan: “What do we do? Carry on with the classes as usual?”

Charles: “Yes. But we’ll let everyone know what we found. Secrecy and false rumors are only going to make people more anxious. And, we’ll do a quick review of our emergency procedures.”

[The sound of cars coming through the gate and people greeting Charles and Logan]

Logan: “I gotta say, I don’t like this. If it’s human, mutant or animal activity, we can deal with it. No problem. But if it’s something we haven’t seen before…”

Charles: “Well, we don’t even know if it’s hostile.”

Logan: “Of course you’d say that.”

Charles: “Oh, Hank says he’s got us a line. I’ll go talk to Tony. You do what you have to do. Nothing’s going to happen today.”

Logan: “You got it.”

Peter took off the mask and looked at his friends with wide eyes. That sounded serious. He checked his web shooters and ordered KAREN to run a full diagnostics on the suit. He needed everything to be working properly.

“I hope Professor will tell us before class begins.” Kurt moved his tail around, feeling antsy.

“He’s probably going to make an announcement in our heads,” Silver told Peter who was still the newest student in school and tapped the side of his own head.

“Wow, he can do that? Speak to all of us at the same time?” Peter couldn’t get enough of all the amazing aspects of the powers in this school.

“There are very few things he can’t do. We’re safe here even if it’s an alien attack. He’s obviously a powerful telepath, but he’s so much more than that.” Silver could tell that Peter was worried. It was understandable; the boy was only fifteen. “Let me put it this way. I’d rather put my faith in Charles than in my own dad to keep me safe. And, you know I can get you far away from here in the blink of an eye. Stay close to me and you’ll be fine.”

Peter gave Silver a complicated smile. On one hand, Silver had some serious daddy issues that made him feel sad. On the other hand, it was sweet of him to try to console and protect him. He appreciated it, but he hoped that nobody would need anyone’s protection anytime soon.

 

Meanwhile in Beijing, Tony was doing some yoga before his flight. It always helped to board a plane with a relaxed state of mind. He was currently doing the scorpion and he was nailing it if he said so himself. It was too bad that there wasn’t anyone around but FRIDAY to appreciate his butt in this position. The business trip had been quite successful, but he thought that the result would’ve been similar even if he hadn’t come in person. He didn't understand why most business leaders still preferred him in the flesh to a hologram of his. He could’ve even changed his appearance to their liking.

FRIDAY: “Incoming call from Mr. McCoy, sir.”

“Hank? Patch him through.” Tony sat straight on the floor, bracing himself for the bad news. It couldn’t be anything good if Hank had crawled out of his lab to give him a call across the ocean.

“Hey, Tony. You’re on speakerphone with me and Charles. I hope we’re not interrupting anything.” Hank valued his manners even in a stressful situation.

“You’re not. What’s going on?”

“Are you alone?” Charles asked.

“Yes, and the coast is clear. My A.I. constantly looks out for bugs. Now talk.” Tony listened as Hank explained how Peter’s Spidey senses had tingled and how he had found faint traces of strange energy along with some goo on the ground. Its chemical features weren’t anything known to Earth and that was what was worrying Hank.

“No prints of any kind?” Tony asked.

“There wasn’t any specific shape around or in this ‘goo’,” Hank answered. “Have you seen or heard anything like this before?”

“Nope. I’ve only ever dealt with one kind of aliens and they were more like machines. Nothing gooey about them. I’ll ask Fury though.”

“And, I’ll talk to Erik and use the Cerebro,” Charles told him. “It could be a mutant, but I doubt it. We could only ever use material on Earth.”

“I’ll go talk to Logan and Doop,” Hank informed them. “It could be someone like them who’s been artificially engineered. If so, maybe Charles is right and someone just wanted our help.”

“Yes. And, they had to leave without coming in because Mr. Maximoff has decided that our school should help ‘Gifted _Gangsters_ ’ today,” Charles said sarcastically, making Tony laugh.

“Do you think Peter was targeted?” Tony had to ask. “None of the other kids felt anything weird?”

“I don’t think he was targeted. Peter and Kurt were the closest to the gate and Peter’s senses are more heightened than Kurt’s,” Charles explained. “I asked Peter if he had heard a heartbeat, but he said no, so I really don’t think it’s a fellow mutant.”

“Maybe Peter wasn’t close enough to hear a heartbeat. Or they could’ve been masking the sound,” Hank suggested.

“That’s possible. But why would they do that?” Tony wondered. “I don’t like this. I’m sending you guys a dozen security drones and a few Iron Man suits.”

“Please don’t do that,” Charles said in a soft voice. “If they’re hostile forces, they could be monitoring us and checking our response time and methods of defense. And, if they’re aliens or gods, I can’t use my telepathy to sense their presence.”

“Urgh, I really hate it when you talk like a military strategist.” Tony frowned. “It makes me feel like something undesirable is about to happen.”

“Anthony, you know I can keep him safe. You’ve given him everything he needs to defend himself, but I’m going to make sure that he wouldn’t even have to use it. And, there will be plenty of others looking after him even if something happens to me.”

“Don’t even say something like that.” Tony shuddered. “You’re absolutely sure I can’t send you my babies?”

“You’ve already sent me your most precious baby. And, you’ll be the first to know if we need anything.”

“Fine. Keep me in the loop, guys. I’ll be leaving right away.” Tony ended the call and ordered Happy to stand by with a wide variety of backups. Then he ordered his pilot to get ready to leave as soon as possible as he started to pack his bags. So much for yoga and a relaxed state of mind.

“FRIDAY, get me Peter on the phone.”

FRIDAY: “Right away, sir.”

“Hello? Mr. Stark?”

Tony already felt a little bit better at the sound of the boy’s voice. “Hey, kid. I just heard what happened. Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. Nothing really happened. You’re still coming back tonight, right?”

“Yes, I’m packing my bags as we speak. Do you have your suit on?”

“Yeah, under my clothes.”

“Good. Don’t take it off under any circumstances, okay?”

“Okay.” Peter couldn’t really think of any circumstances where he would take off the suit and stand nearly naked in his thong, but he didn’t want to talk back to Mr. Stark who already seemed anxious enough. “I’m going to be fine, Mr. Stark. Don’t worry.”

“Just remember that you’re in the safest school on Earth. And, I know that education is important, but do you want to go home for the day?”

“Go home? Why, Mr. Stark, I thought you knew that I was a serious student,” Peter said in a light tone. He thought that his mentor was overreacting, but he had probably been in too many dangerous situations to simply dismiss a possible false alarm. “Besides, in movies, the ‘package’ always gets attacked when it’s on the move.”

“The ‘package’, huh?” Tony couldn’t help but laugh. And, here he had thought that he would be too worried all day to enjoy a laugh. Oh, kids… “Well, let me know if you change your mind. Remember, I’m just a phone call away.”

“You got it! Have a safe flight!”

“Will do.” Tony ended the call and picked up his bags. It was time to go home.

 

Kitty was using pastel to draw a squirrel who was striking a dramatic pose in the middle of the classroom. The teachers had tried to get the regular classes going in the morning since nothing remotely disastrous had happened, but they had given up after lunch. Now everyone was free to spend the rest of the afternoon as they liked. Some students were actually revising for the midterms, but most of them were doing art or sport. Peter was sitting next to her, doing croquis of the squirrel, while they could hear Sean screaming outside with a football. The Electric Trio were jamming in a soundproof room (Silver on guitar, Jubilee on violin, and Jean on cello) while Kurt and Alex seemed to be singing a Fall Out Boy medley.

“How’s it going?” Kitty asked, wondering how Peter was holding up. They were slowly getting used to suspicious activities around the school, but Peter was new here.

“My drawing? Well, I don’t think it’s going to get a spot in the Louvre, but I hope the model likes it.”

Kitty giggled. “Seriously though, you have nothing to worry about. ‘Have faith in your powers.’ That’s what Storm always tells us. And, Hank said that some mutants develop new powers when they’re threatened. So who knows? Maybe one of us will get super cool powers and save us all.”

“Really? How fascinating.” Peter threw a piece of dried fruit to their model who had started to look a little bit bored.

“And, you know that I can make you literally untouchable. Nobody’s going to get to you,” Kitty reassured her friend. “I can stay phased for a lot longer now.”

“That’s amazing! And, thanks. Everyone’s being so sweet to the new boy.” Peter grinned and pretended to swoon.

“Well, I’m only fulfilling my duty. I’m the leader of your fan club after all. What was I thinking…” Kitty pretended to sigh as she picked up her pastel again.

“Ooh…” Peter closed his eyes and smiled as he felt a wave of comfort coming from Professor Xavier. It had been happening all day and he was getting addicted to it. “You know, if I’m going to get new powers, I hope it’s something that can make people happy.”

“That is so deep.” Kitty chuckled as she drew. “I think I’d want mine to do something with time. Freeze time or go back in time, something like that.”

“That sounds awesome! Maybe you’ll actually get to do that one day.” Peter finished his sketch and looked at the clock on the wall. What! How was it possible that only twenty minutes had passed? He had finished _four_ croquis! Okay, the word ‘croquis’ did mean a sketch that was done very quickly, but still! He was going to die of boredom before he could see Mr. Stark tonight.

“If you’re bored, would you like to play some tennis with me?” Kitty finished up her touches with the tip of her fingers.

“I’d love to try, but I’ve never played it before. I know the rules though! My aunt and I watch the Wimbledon finals on TV every year.” Peter thought that trying something new might just save him.

“Great! You have heightened senses, strength, dexterity and all that, so you should be fine. And, it’s not like we’re competing. Although… what do you say to you and me versus Jubilee and Kurt? You remember Jubilee and I are in the tennis club, right?”

“Yeah. But you’re sure you don’t want someone else? Like Silver perhaps?” Peter scratched the back of his head.

“I’m sure. He can be the umpire. He can get to the ball before it hits the ground, so you can’t really argue with his calls. Actually, he can be the umpire _and_ the ball boy. We usually have ball squirrels, but Silver thinks it’s a good workout.”

“Wow, I’d love to see that.” Peter laughed as he pictured Silver jog lightly towards the ball and look utterly bored as he waited for it to land already. He loved finding out how everyone’s powers played into their everyday lives.

Kitty wrapped up her drawing and packed her things while Peter showed his sketches to the model. Doreen wasn’t around to translate, but the squirrel seemed to approve of them. Peter smiled at the thought that he had made at least one individual happy today. It was a good feeling and he wondered if he could make drawings of Mr. Stark and offer them as a ‘welcome home’ gift. He wasn’t much of an artist, but everyone liked handmade gifts, right?

“Are you coming?” Kitty asked from the doorway.

“Yep.” Peter hurried out of the classroom, already thinking about the reference pictures that he could use for his drawings.

 

Tony had just gotten off the phone with the director of S.H.I.E.L.D, Nick Fury, who had only called to tell him that he didn’t have any news. Charles and Hank hadn’t had any useful information either and he wondered if that was good or bad. It was probably good for today, but was it still good for tomorrow or the day after that? He sighed and looked out the window of the plane. He was almost home. He realized with a thumping heart that these days, home meant Peter. It had become as simple and intense as that. Perhaps this was how Charles felt around all those kids.

He watched Peter’s video of the day and listened to him talk about sketching a squirrel, learning how to play tennis, and eating Swiss fondue for the first time. Peter had also been a part of the group that had checked the small forest behind the school for signs of intrusion. He had apparently loved the joint effort with other students, staff, and squirrels, feeling like he belonged there. Nobody had found anything, but he had appreciated the chance to use his abilities and the suit’s various functions.

It was nice to see the boy getting new experiences and expanding his world. But he was a little worried that Peter seemed to be less interested in studying these days. While it was perfectly understandable that he would prefer to use his shiny, new superpowers instead of his natural brain power, he hoped that Peter would aim for a balanced life. It couldn’t be mentally healthy to be a superhero as a full-time job. He thought that he himself would’ve gone crazy years ago if he hadn’t had Stark Industries to distract him from all the Iron Man business.

“Sir, we’re about to land. Please check if you have your seatbelt on.”

“Roger that.” Tony listened to the pilot and made sure that everything was in position for landing. As the plane touched down, he could make out a familiar plump figure on the side of the airstrip. That had to be Happy. But what was that thing near his feet? He couldn’t see it properly due to insufficient light. Where was Peter though? Studying like a good boy in his room perhaps?

“Good evening, Hap,” he greeted his good, old friend as he handed over his bags.

“Good evening, boss. The flight wasn’t too bad?”

“Yes, thank you.” Tony took a few steps and recognized the thing that was on the ground. That was his special boy. “Tell me, Happy. He hasn’t passed out, has he?”

“No. He just yawned a few times and fell asleep. I got the blanket from your room.”

“Good thinking. But how did he manage to stay asleep on the _ground_ with a _plane_ landing nearby?” Tony looked at the boy in awe.

“Not sure.” Happy shrugged as he walked behind Tony. “I was debating if it was a teenage thing or a superhuman thing.”

“Probably both.” Tony crouched in front of the snoring boy and shook him gently. “Hey, kid. I’m back.”

“You’ll have to shake him harder than that,” Happy advised as he moved past them with the bags. “He’s had a long day.”

Tony shook the kid a little harder and noticed that he was resting his head on a sketchbook. “Wake up now, young man, or I’m going to invade your privacy.”

Peter opened his eyes as he felt his head roll to one side. Someone was… “Oh my god, Mr. Stark!! You’re home!”

“Yes, I am.” Tony needed to take a couple of steps back because of the strength of the hug. “Say, why don’t you hug me tighter so I can really feel it?”

Peter laughed as he loosened his grip. “Sorry. I just really missed you.”

“Same here, kid. Let’s go inside, so you can marvel at all the gifts I got you.”

“You didn’t have to do that, but thank you.” Peter closed his eyes and enjoyed the sound of the man’s strong and steady heartbeat. Oh, how he had missed it. “And, I have something for you too.”

“Is that so?” Tony gently pulled back from the hug and picked up the blanket.

“Yeah, I drew a bit for you…” Peter walked next to Mr. Stark, holding onto his sketchbook.

“That sounds wonderful. Did you sign them?”

“My sketches? No…”

“You need to sign them, so I can frame each and every one of them and hang them on the wall.”

“Oh, Mr. Stark… They’re not that good.” Peter bit his lip. Perhaps he should’ve told him that he had drawn only one sketch.

“It doesn’t matter. I’m going to love them anyway. They’re for me, so I can do whatever I want with them, right?”

“Well, yeah…” Peter thought about the days when May and Ben had put up his ‘art’ on the fridge. It was a nice memory and he realized that he was happy to do it all over again with his favorite superhero. Fridge, wall, what was the difference, right? “Thank you for being so supportive, Mr. Stark. I know you’re not my dad, but you’re still the best dad ever.”

Tony had to stop walking and take a deep breath. Oh, god. He was going to faint. He was the best dad ever? On which planet was that even remotely possible? But was he going to question Peter’s judgment? Hell no. Oh, god…

“Are you okay, Mr. Stark? Did I say something wrong?”

“No, you didn’t say anything wrong. Don’t worry. I just need some hot chocolate in one of those mugs you gave me. Do you want some too? Why am I even asking this? Of course, you do. Hot chocolate is an excellent coping mechanism. I’m sure it’s been recommended by WHO and other important medical institutions.”

Peter chuckled as Mr. Stark kept on babbling while they entered the building. Why was it so difficult for the man to accept something that was as plain as day? Silver wouldn’t be the only boy in the world who would kill to have someone like Mr. Stark as their dad. He would just have to say it many times until Mr. Stark actually believed it. And, when that finally happened, he might even call him ‘dad’. But that was for another day, so he yelled, “Race you to the elevator, Mr. Stark!”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone's interested, I wrote a fun one-shot about Loki and Thor's brotherly feelings, post-Ragnarok. Tony plays a cameo role in it :) [How to win your brother back in five simple steps](http://archiveofourown.org/works/12683997)


	14. Today’s problem: Erik, the prick

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony shows up at the school for the parent-teacher conference and runs into someone he hates with every single cell of his body. Silver and Peter bond over their hopes and fears regarding their respective father (figure)s. Peter and Tony come home only to nearly get a heart attack, each for a different reason.

_  
In the previous chapter…_

Peter’s Spidey senses had tingled at school and Hank had found faint traces of strange energy and goo made of non-identifiable chemical components near the front gate. But nothing else had happened, so life had gone on. Tony had come back from his business trip to find Peter napping on a sketchbook that had contained several drawings for him. If that hadn’t been adorable enough, the kid had told him that he was ‘the best dad ever’.

 

Midterms had come and gone and the fidget spinners had been gifted to the best achievers. Now it was time for parent-teacher conferences. Tony was glad that he was back to worrying about small things in life instead of a possible alien attack. He didn’t think that he could entirely dismiss the possibility, but there was nothing anyone could do without new information. So he decided to deal with it when or if it happened and focus on whatever was on his plate right now.

He parked his Iron Man suit in a corner of the school backyard and stepped out of it. May had already talked to Charles two days ago while he had been busy at the office, so it was only him today. He hadn’t felt the need to come after May had already been here, but Charles had insisted that both guardians be present even at different times. He walked into the building, greeting a few kids that recognized him, and headed for Charles’ office. He checked his watch and noticed that he had arrived a little early. Was there another parent in there? Or could Charles see him right away?

_Knock-knock._

“Just a minute!”

Tony tilted his head. Charles sounded a little panicky. _‘Charles?’_ he thought of a big question mark, wondering what was going on. That was when the door burst open and Erik Lehnsherr stepped out in a three-piece suit.

Erik narrowed his eyes when he recognized the annoying human in front of him. “So that’s why he wanted me to leave through the window.”

Tony clenched his fists. “Hi, Erik, the prick.”

Erik scoffed. “Hi, Tony, the phony.”

Charles sighed as he stood in the doorway. This was a scheduling disaster that wasn’t going to end well.

“Why are you even here?” Erik asked Tony. “I thought the office hours today were exclusively for parent-teacher conferences.”

“They are,” Charles answered, trying not to sigh again.

“My mentee needed an extra guardian, so I’m here to offer my services,” Tony said in a neutral tone. He didn’t want to get into an argument when Peter could be nearby.

“You’re a mentor? To whom?” Erik’s eyes grew wide. He had assumed that the only person who could prove that Tony Stark had a heart was Charles.

“Don’t answer that,” Charles warned Tony. “Erik’s leaving right now.”

“Mr. Stark! You made it!” Peter spotted his mentor and ran towards him. But he stopped when he noticed that Magneto was there. Huh, he looked shockingly normal without his asymmetrical cape and fugly helmet. Who would’ve thought…

Charles bit his tongue to stop himself from bursting into laughter. Children had the best thoughts.

“What’s your name, young man?” Erik turned his attention to the boy.

“Don’t answer that,” Tony told Peter before warning Erik. “You don’t get to talk to my kid, okay? Now walk away before I make a scene in front of yours.”

Erik turned his head to glare at Tony. His son was looking his way from the end of the hall, so he had no choice but to follow the suggestion. “Very well.”

Peter held his breath as Magneto walked past him. He nearly jumped when his watch vibrated. Oh my god, it was awesome! But he tried his best to hide his excitement; he didn’t think that Mr. Stark would approve of a positive reaction.

Charles was quick to send Peter’s excitement to Tony in order to stop a brutal murder from happening under his nose. This was why he had never been interested in teaching adults. Contrary to popular belief, they were far more difficult to handle than children.

“Would you like a mango Popsicle, Mr. Stark?” Peter asked in a cheerful voice. It was hilarious to think that he was using ‘ice’ to break the ice. “Emery and Bobby are making tons of them and they taste great!”

Tony let out a sigh of relief. Peter didn’t look too shaken by Lehnsherr’s little trick. “That sounds great, kid. I’d love to try one.”

“You got it!”

Charles smiled as he felt Peter’s vibrant mind move away and invited his friend into his office. “After you.”

Tony groaned as he sank in one of the couches near the window. “I honestly don’t know how you deal with that prick. I’m telling you, you have the patience of a saint.”

“Thank you.” Charles laughed and offered him a drink.

“Why, Charles? Is this whisky?” Tony brightened up and sat a little straighter.

“Yes, but don’t worry. Peter will think it’s water.” Charles took a seat next to him.

Tony chuckled. “That’s so boring. What’s wrong with the blood of a hundred virgins?”

“That’s too many. Would you settle for seven?”

“Seven? That’s oddly specific.”

“Yes, indeed. It sounds like I might’ve fixed such a drink before.” Charles wriggled his eyebrows and enjoyed Tony’s laughter when there was a knock on the door. “Come in, darling.”

Peter walked in with four mango Popsicles and gave them two each. When both of them looked up, he explained, “Because one isn’t nearly enough.”

“Is that so? How many did you have already?” Tony asked, dreading the answer.

“Four… But I have a super stomach, Mr. Stark! I can handle it.”

Charles giggled quietly at the exasperated look on Tony’s face and then not so quietly at the confused look on Peter’s face.

“Um, what is that thing you’re drinking?” Peter stared at the red liquid in Mr. Stark’s hand. For some reason, he thought that it could be the blood of seven virgins. It even smelled a little bit like blood. “That’s pomegranate juice, right…?”

“Yes, that’s exactly what it is.” Tony kept a straight face. He was a seasoned business man; wearing a poker face was his jam.

“Good. I’m going to leave now. Uh, if you’re not busy, do you think we could go on a quick joint patrol after this?” Peter realized that he was getting better at asking for what he wanted, but he could still feel the guilt in his stomach.

“I’d be happy to tag along, kid, but we need a special talk before that.”

“A special talk?” Peter gulped. “Am I in trouble already? You only spoke to the professor for like five minutes!”

Tony chuckled. “You’re not in trouble. But we do have to talk about something important, so we’ll go home first and then go out for patrol. Sounds good?”

“Yeah. Whatever works for you, Mr. Stark.” Peter smiled.

“Okay. Now go outside and play with your friends. I need Charles to give me some dirt on you,” Tony joked with a completely serious face.

“You’re not going to get any,” Peter said with a playful grin. “I’m pure like a virgin. Urgh, I don’t know why I said that. I’ll let you guys talk.” He opened the door and glanced one last time at the suspicious liquid that still smelled like blood.

Charles chuckled after Peter closed the door behind him. “I think this parental role suits you very well.”

“You think so? Well, it may be good for my soul, but it’s absolutely terrible for my heart.”

“I think the best things usually are.”

Tony cleared his throat. Charles was giving him a complicated look that he had no idea how to interpret. “Let’s not get sidetracked. Bring out the dirt now, will you? Can I record this? I could use it to my advantage someday.”

Charles laughed. He would have to choose his words carefully if he didn’t want a child to be blackmailed by his own guardian.

 

Silver was sitting on the edge of the school rooftop, watching his dad move the WMD up and down with his powers. The older kids knew better and stayed away from the dangerous man, but the younger kids giggled and screamed in delight. His dad had built the WMD which stood for ‘Weird Metallic Drop tower’. It had been pretty cool to watch him move all that metal so quickly and intricately and to get to name the ride. His dad had found the name cheeky and it had been the best interaction that they had ever had.

Unfortunately, things had fallen apart between them when he had been asked to join the Brotherhood. He understood why his dad felt the need to lead such a group. But it was one thing to be a part of it yourself and quite another to ask your teenage son to join a group that killed off the ‘wrong people’. He still cherished the memory of the WMD day though. Charles had told him that he could always separate an old memory from whatever was going on in the present since there was no good reason to taint a perfectly fine memory.

“There you are.” Peter poked his head through the door that led to the rooftop. He wondered if Silver wanted the company or if he would rather be left alone.

“Join me?” Silver asked as he looked over his shoulder.

“Sure.” Peter sat down next to him. He could guess what Silver had been looking at, given the loud laughter coming from the WMD. “Did you talk to him?”

“Yeah, for a little bit.”

“And?”

“It was okay. He wanted me to know that he could pay for my college. He said it was honest money.”

Peter was a little surprised. “Did he say how he earned it?”

Silver shook his head. “He told me he was busy in Iran to help the people who got hit by the earthquake, but that kind of thing doesn’t pay, so I don’t know.”

“Do you believe it’s honest money?” Peter asked carefully. He didn’t want to make things worse.

“I actually do. I don’t think he’d lie about something like that.”

“That’s great.” Peter smiled. That sounded hopeful.

“Yeah, I guess.” Silver gave him a small smile. “You know, I get that he’s busy ‘fighting for mutant rights’, but I wish he’d make more time for me. When he found out that I was his son, I expected him to drop by more often. But it didn’t turn out that way.”

“Did you tell him that?”

Silver snorted. “Of course not. We don’t have the kind of relationship where we talk about things like that.”

“Well, if there’s one thing I’ve learned from KAREN, it’s that it’s okay to ask for more love. If you don’t get it, that’s too bad. But you’re not going to know until you ask. Maybe he thought that you wouldn’t want to have him around that much.”

“Yeah, maybe.” Silver had to admit that it was a possibility. His dad knew that he hated most of the Brotherhood’s activities, so he probably thought that he hated _him_ too. The truth was that he had mixed feelings about his dad. He was proud of all the relief effort that he had started to do (although there was a chance that he was only doing it to give the mutants a better image), but he hated that he still ‘eliminated’ threats to the mutant kind. That said, he was trying to appreciate the fact that he had a dad and to turn their barely existing relationship into something meaningful. It just wasn’t easy to separate his dad from the leader of the Brotherhood.

He looked down and spotted Kurt on a bench, happily talking to his parents. It amazed him that Kurt looked so relaxed around Mystique and Azazel who were his dad’s right hand and left hand. At least, _he_ had a normal mom. “I don’t know how he does it.”

“Hmm?” Peter followed Silver’s line of sight to figure out what he was talking about.

“Kurt, I mean.”

“Ah, Kurt.” Peter giggled. “I’ve never seen anyone more positive than him. I thought _I_ was pretty positive, but it’s like nothing can get him down.”

“Yeah, he’s our blue sunshine.” Silver grinned. “He’s blue, but he never feels blue.”

“Hahaha… I know!”

“What about you? You don’t have any problems with Stark, do you?” Silver asked.

“I think we’re good, at least from my end.” Peter chuckled. “I just take up a lot of his time.”

“You’re great company,” Silver said in a warm voice. “I’m sure he doesn’t mind.”

“Thanks. I really hope so. I’m such a hopeless fanboy, you know.” Peter giggled. “Things are so different with Mr. Stark. My uncle was awesome and I loved him, but I didn’t feel desperate to be around him. We had a great time together, but sometimes, I didn’t particularly feel like spending time with him. I wanted to go out and play with my friends for as long as possible. But with Mr. Stark, I’m _dying_ to do things with him. Whatever we do together, it’s always awesome!”

Silver smiled. “That sounds cool. I’m happy for you.”

“Thanks. But there’s also this fear that gets to me sometimes. I worry that he might be taken away from me. My dad apparently did some important work that put him in harm’s way, but my uncle had a regular job. Nobody was out to kill him, but that didn’t make a difference. I was so stupid to think that muggings wouldn’t happen to people I know. It just felt like something you saw on TV. I never thought Ben would go out like _that_. I thought we’d have plenty of time together.”

Silver nodded. “I know what you mean. I feel like that with my mom too. I just assume she’ll be around for a while even though I know anything could happen to her at any moment.”

“Exactly.”

“But Stark has a dangerous side job and you’re worried even more.”

“Yeah.” Peter rubbed his face. “It’s very selfish of me to say this, but I’m kind of glad that the Avengers aren’t officially active for now. But Mr. Stark’s the CEO of a huge company, so that’s a little dangerous too. He has a bodyguard and he knows how to look out for himself, but I still worry. I love him the way he is, but sometimes I wish he was superhuman with enhanced healing abilities and all that.”

Silver gently pulled Peter into a hug. He looked like he needed it. His heart ached at how hard Peter was burrowing his face into his shoulder and how tightly he was holding onto his jacket. He was a little jealous of Peter for having a father figure that he could love so much and jealous of Stark for getting so much love from Peter.

“I don’t know what I’m going to do if something happens to him too,” Peter confessed his biggest worry. “There’s only so much I can take.”

“Hey, no worries. He’ll be fine. You have powers now, remember? You can protect him.” Silver slowly rubbed Peter’s back, hoping that the motion would soothe him.

“Yeah. What’s the point of having superpowers if I can’t save the one man I really want to, right?” Peter pulled back a little so that he could look into Silver’s eyes.

“Right.” Silver smiled and gave him a kiss on the forehead.

“One isn’t nearly enough…” Peter muttered in a tiny voice.

“I’m sorry?” Silver laughed. “Are we still talking about kisses here or are we back to mango bars?”

“Mango bars, of course.” Peter playfully stuck out his tongue as he stood up.

“All right. Let’s go harass poor Bobby then.” Silver got up too and snatched Peter’s wrist when he tried to turn around and head for the door. He pulled Peter back to him and kissed the pretty forehead once more. “We’re good now?”

Peter beamed and stood on tiptoe to kiss Silver on the nose. “Yeah, we’re good now.”

 

An hour later, Peter was sitting in Mr. Stark’s living room, wondering what this ‘special talk’ was about. The man looked rather uncomfortable even though he was sitting across him in comfortable, casual clothes. He had already suffered five minutes of this eerie silence; he honestly didn’t know how much more he could take. “Mr. Stark, we both know you’re a busy man. Can you please just say whatever’s on your mind? Did I do something wrong?”

“Wrong? No, I just…” Tony moaned. Where was his silver tongue when he needed it? “Listen, I just want to make sure that you understand what could happen when you meet someone you really like.”

Peter pulled his head back. “That’s really vague. What do you mean?”

“Do you know how to use a condom?” There. He said it. He admitted that the introduction wasn’t as smooth as he had hoped for, but the topic was finally out in the open.

Peter groaned. “We’re not going to talk about sex, Mr. Stark. That’s gross.”

“It’s not! It could be a beautiful thing!” Tony was alarmed at the kid’s twisted notion of sex.

“I’m sure it could. I meant, us talking about it is gross.” Peter wrinkled his nose.

“But somebody has to talk to you about this, kid. And, I’d rather not have an A.I. or a Youtube video do it for you. I know they taught you at school, but they probably only covered the basic stuff. And, Charles mentioned that it was important to discuss it at home as well. May thought I’d do a better job and that’s why you’re here, but if you’d rather talk to her…”

“God, no!” Peter shuddered. “I never want to talk to her about things like this.”

Tony nodded. “That’s what I thought.”

“But I don’t need the talk, Mr. Stark. I’ve already read a lot on Tumblr. I even know how to clean my ass. There was a very adorable and helpful guide about it.”

Tony felt his eyes bulge out of his skull. What did he just say? A guide about what??

FRIDAY: “Sir, it’s my duty to inform you that your blood pressure is spiking up.”

Peter looked terrified. “I only _read_ , Mr. Stark! I didn’t _do_ anything! Knowledge is power, right?”

“Was that info even legit? Where did you get the link? Did Silver give it to you?!” Tony could barely recognize his own shrill voice.

“What? What does _he_ have anything to do with this?”

“There’s another boy then??” Tony put a hand to the back of his neck.

“No! That’s not what I meant! The post was just there, sitting on my dash. One of the people I follow had reblogged it from someone else,” Peter explained. “Why are you so freaked out anyway? You said it yourself that the school only covered basic stuff, so this kind of thing was what you wanted to talk about, right?”

“You’re only fifteen! I was just going to explain things to look out for while you’re dry humping!” Tony wanted to tear his hair off his head. “I wanted to stay close to Earth, but you took it all the way out there to freaking Neptune!”

“Well, how was I supposed to know that? I was trying to save you the trouble by elaborating on what I read! And, if you just wanted to talk about dry humping, why did you even ask me about condoms?”

“Because I was going to move onto blowjobs in case you felt adventurous!”

“Oh…” Peter had to stifle a laugh. This was terrible. “But just so we’re clear, you think _blowjobs_ are adventurous?” He burst into laughter when he saw the look of absolute horror on Mr. Stark’s face. His brain was probably coming up with all kinds of sexual activities known to mankind, each one kinkier than the last. It was so much fun to tease the poor man.

Tony closed his eyes and let his body fall on the couch. This was pure agony. If he could have things his way, he would wrap up the kid in bubble wrap and never let anyone touch him. Anyone who laid a finger on him would have to deal with Iron Man’s wrath. “I’ll have to ask Charles to erase my memory. That’s the only way to deal with this. Oh god, why is this happening… Do you want yours erased too? We could start over again. Next time, I’ll go through 500 scenarios with FRIDAY before we have this conversation. I’ll be ready.”

Peter laughed before he spoke in a soft voice, “I don’t want to erase my memory, Mr. Stark. Every memory with you is precious to me, even such a horrifying one like this.”

Tony made a painful noise. He hated the kid. He had been perfectly fine living his life without thinking too much about emotions. Why did Peter feel the constant need to make him feel things? “Tell you what, let’s try this again some other time. What do you say to some pasta before we head out for patrol? We can’t help anyone on an empty stomach.”

“Cool! Pasta sounds awesome!” Peter was glad that the miserable attempt at a safe sex talk was over for the day. Next time, he was going to just sit there and let Mr. Stark talk and pretend that he didn’t know anything.

“Heads up. Today’s pasta will be made for you by yours truly.” Tony got up from the couch and walked towards the kitchen. “I’ve been told that I make a mean Bolognese. Just ask FRIDAY.”

FRIDAY: “That’s right, Peter. His guests used to find his spaghetti Bolognese very satisfying.”

Peter could easily guess who those guests were and it made him feel sad that he was the only one around to enjoy the meal. So he did his best to sound as enthusiastic as possible. “I can’t wait to taste it, Mr. Stark! Iron Man making me pasta! Boy, am I living the life!”

_Beep._

Peter looked down at the coffee table. It was Mr. Stark’s phone. “Mr. Stark, I think you got a text!”

“Can you bring it in here?” Tony yelled from the kitchen. “I’ve already washed my hands.” He put FRIDAY on passive mode whenever Peter was around. He wanted to enjoy as much interaction with the kid as possible without her interrupting them with all sorts of messages. That was why FRIDAY hadn’t informed him about the incoming text.

“You got it!” Peter got up with the phone and headed for the kitchen. He hoped that the text was from one of those former ‘guests’. He thought that it was rather unlikely, but a boy could dream. At least one of them would contact Mr. Stark at some point, right? Even a text from Sergeant Rhodes or Vision would be nice.

He walked into the kitchen and saw that Mr. Stark had started to make the sauce. “I got your phone, Mr. Stark. Should I hold it up for you?”

“Yeah, that would be great.” Tony turned to the kid and let the iris scanner do its job. “Okay, now read it for me.” The parenting books had suggested that you should show some trust by letting the child help you with personal matters.

“But what if it’s something I’m not supposed to see?”

“Like what?”

“Like intel that’s above my clearance level or a romantic text from a ‘friend’.”

Tony laughed at Peter’s use of air quotes. “First of all, there’s no such ‘friend’, and sensitive intel doesn’t come through a text. So you can just go on and read it.”

“Okay.” Peter opened the text even though he still felt like he shouldn’t. It read: _Iron dad! :D Can’t wait to spend the whole weekend with you! See you tomorrow!_

Peter gasped so fiercely that he felt like he had pulled a muscle. What was going on? ‘Iron dad’? IRON DAD?? Did Mr. Stark have a son? He clenched his teeth and tried not to faint. Who could’ve possibly sent this? He read the sender’s name, but it didn’t help. “Who the hell is Harley Keener??”

 

_To be continued…_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1) Just so we're clear, I love both Erik and Harley XD
> 
> 2) I had to add 'M/M' slash as one of the main tags. Let's face it, it's already been heading that way for a while. I hope I won't upset anyone with this change :)
> 
> 3) For those who need info on Harley Keener: He's the young boy in 'Iron Man 3' who helps Tony get back on his feet when he's down and out in Tennessee. More info will be provided in the next chapter!


	15. Today’s problem: Peter Parker vs. Harley Keener

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter gets to know the 'other Stark kid' but cannot find it in him to warm up to him. Unfortunately, the feeling is mutual and Harley can't help but worry about the company that Tony keeps. Meanwhile, Tony is thrilled to spend a whole weekend with his favorite boys. The day couldn't get any better! He _knew_ that the kids would like each other. Why wouldn't they?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>   
>  1) Harley is the young boy from 'Iron Man 3' who helped Tony while he was stranded in Tennessee. More info will be provided in the chapter. You can see what he looks like now in this link. [Harley and Tony](http://hisduckling.tumblr.com/post/166262738452/harley-reunites-with-the-mechanic)
> 
> 2) The boys use swear words (mostly in their heads), but remember what Tony said? He told Cap that he didn't trust someone without a dark side. So now Tony can trust both of his boys :D

  


__

_In the previous chapter…_

Erik had showed up at the school for the parent-teacher conference. Silver had mixed feelings about his dad, but it had been nice to see him do some good outside the country and to hear that he was willing to pay honest money for his college. Silver and Peter had shared pecks on the rooftop and Peter had come home to a failed attempt at a safe sex talk from Mr. Stark. Tony had made pasta for Peter and had asked him to read him a new text on his phone. Peter had nearly fainted at a ‘Harley Keener’ texting about spending the weekend with his ‘Iron dad.’

 

“KAREN, still nothing?”

KAREN: “I don’t see or hear anything, Peter. And, no, I’m not malfunctioning. You’ll be the first one to know when I detect any signs of a Stark plane.”

“Bah, okay…”

Peter glared into the far distance with his Spidey eyes as he climbed the main building of the Avengers facility; the residence building wasn’t high enough to spy on your rival. It was zero seven hundred hours (that was how they said it in the military) and Mr. Stark was still asleep; he had just checked on his way up. Hopefully, Mr. Stark wasn’t dreaming about this mysterious stranger who was coming for his throat. He touched his throat subconsciously as he sat down on the edge of the rooftop. It felt like déjà vu from yesterday when Silver had been sitting moodily on the school rooftop.

KAREN: “Are you okay, Peter?”

“No, I’m not okay.”

KAREN: “Do you want to talk about it?”

Peter thought for a moment. “Yeah, I actually do.”

KAREN: “I’m all ears then. Tell me what’s going on.”

“Okay, so my life was perfect these past few weeks, right? My life was great! Even though I got demoted to the floor beneath Mr. Stark’s. ‘Cause let’s face it, it totally felt like a demotion. Anyway, I felt like I had become this golden child and I had never felt like that before. I always felt like something was missing, but for once, my life couldn’t get any better! I had Mr. Stark’s full attention and things were good at school.”

KAREN: “Did something happen yesterday?”

“Yes! Something terrible happened yesterday! See, Mr. Stark was making us pasta and it was really good by the way, when this ‘Harley Keener’ sent him a text. And, you know what he called Mr. Stark? Iron dad! Did you hear me, KAREN? IRON DAD! Oh my god, who does he think he is?!”

KAREN: “Who is this Harley Keener?”

“Apparently, he lives in Tennessee with his mom and sister and helped out Mr. Stark years ago when he was in the area.”

KAREN: “So he’s a good person?”

Peter sighed. He was obviously in no mood to talk about the goodness of his rival. “I’m sure there’s good in every person on Earth. But that’s not the point, KAREN! The point is that Mr. Stark seems to be very fond of him. He called him a ‘sweet little shit’. He apologized for saying ‘shit’, but I told him it was okay. It’s actually more than okay! ‘Cause I’d like to focus on that ‘little shit’ part, you know. I mean, how sweet could he possibly be? It’s not like he’s made of candy.”

KAREN: “Hahaha, that was a good joke, Peter.”

“Thanks.” Peter started to feel a little bit better before he remembered what other good qualities Keener had. “Mr. Stark said that he was smart, brave, and good at making things. When they first met, he confronted Mr. Stark with a potato gun which he had made himself. He thought that Mr. Stark was an intruder because he had broken into the garage to find shelter. I hate to admit it, but the gun must’ve been pretty decent if Mr. Stark was impressed.”

KAREN: “Yes, it must have been.”

“Urgh, Mr. Stark kept telling me how I’d like him a lot and how we’d get on like a house on fire, that’s a terrible expression by the way, but I don’t know… He showed me some pictures of him on his phone and bleh, he looked all right. Oh and he was born in the same year as me. But he’s sixteen because his birthday has already passed, double bleh.”

KAREN: “It sounds like you two have a lot in common.”

“Yeah, it sounds like his whole existence is messing with…”

KAREN: “Peter! A Stark plane is headed this way! Check your two o’clock!”

Peter turned to the said direction and narrowed his eyes to zoom in on the small, white object. “Oh yeah, that’s a Stark plane all right.”

KAREN: “You might like to know that Mr. Hogan has just walked out of the building.”

Peter looked down and spotted Happy hurrying towards the airstrip. He zoomed in on his face and had to wonder if he was seeing things. Happy had a _smile_ on his face at this _ungodly_ hour on a _Saturday_ morning. What was going on?! Mr. Stark hadn’t said anything about Happy and Keener. How often had Keener come to visit? He had put the name ‘Harley Keener’ in a Google search bar last night, but there hadn’t been any articles or pictures that tied him to Mr. Stark or Happy. Most of the results had been about the science awards that he had won in Tennessee. And, the rest of the results had been about the science awards that he had won _outside_ Tennessee, triple bleh!

KAREN: “Heads up, Peter. The plane is about to touch down.”

Peter looked down and watched the plane land. Mr. Stark had been heavily involved in building the plane and he couldn’t help but admire its gracious glide as it came to a stop. Keener reminded him of a cat as he stepped out of the plane with a grin and stretched in the morning sun. He looked like a regular sixteen year old. He pursed his lips as Happy patted him on the shoulder and took his bags. Happy seemed awfully smiley today. As Keener started to talk his ear off, he smiled once… twice… thrice (that was how they had said it in the old days)… and uh, frice…? Four times! Oh my god, since when had Happy been so happy?!

KAREN: “Would you like to hear what they’re talking about?”

“Uh, that’s very tempting, but no thanks.” Peter got up and headed for the door that led into the building. He wasn’t going to cross a personal line just because he was jealous and anxious. “I don’t have probable cause to listen in on their private conversation. Keener’s not a criminal and it’s not like they’re in danger.”

KAREN: “I don’t mean to question your judgment, but you sent out Droney to your living room in Queens to record Mr. Stark and your aunt’s private conversation.”

“That was different!” Peter went down two stairs at a time. “They were clearly talking about me, and my future was in their hands!” He walked fast to get to an elevator. “And, I knew they’d forgive me even if they found out.”

KAREN: “That is true. They love you very much.”

“Yeah, I’m very lucky.” Peter got into the elevator and smiled before he remembered how few parents and guardians had showed up for the parent-teacher conference. Storm, Hank, Logan, and other staff members had needed to play guardians for so many students. Even his close friend Jubilee hadn’t had anyone who could come for her.

KAREN: “Peter, it’s time to get off the elevator.”

“Oh, yeah. Thanks.” Peter walked towards the bridge that connected the main building to the residence building and decided to grow up a little. He was extremely lucky to be living so close to Mr. Stark and getting this kind of attention and affection from him. He knew that he didn’t deserve even half of it, so he wasn’t going to worry the man by being mean to Keener. If Keener was important to Mr. Stark, he was important to him too. But for some reason, he had a bad feeling that he would be splashing around in dark, muddy water, regardless of his mature decision.

 

Tony checked his hair in the mirror one last time and grinned. He looked handsome in a dark grey henley and black jeans. It should bring out the twinkle in Harley’s fanboying eyes. He always invited him over for a week during his summer break and winter break, but this was a special occasion. He couldn’t wait until winter break to introduce his boys to each other. He was a little worried about Peter though. The kid had left for bed early last night with a small pout on his lips.

FRIDAY: “Sir, Peter’s here. I just let him into the apartment.”

“Did you now? Let’s get the party started then.” He let the bedroom door fly open and stepped out to the living room with his brightest smile.

“Iron dad!” Harley shot up from the couch and ran into Tony’s arms.

“Hey, kiddo.” Tony hugged the boy before he pulled back to take a good look at him. “Look how tall you are! What did you eat for the past two months, huh? Share your secret and save a man!”

Harley giggled. “I missed you, Tony.”

“I missed you too, kiddo.” Tony smiled and pinched Harley’s cheek.

Peter was sitting on the couch with a full-on pout. ‘Kiddo’? KIDDO?? Mr. Stark had only ever called him ‘kiddo’ once, but he had already said it _twice_ just now. Why was he just ‘kid’ while Keener got to be ‘kiddo’? ‘Kiddo’ sounded a lot more affectionate, didn’t it? He had also noticed that Keener called Mr. Stark by his first name. And, of course, the whole ‘Iron dad’ business still bothered him very much.

“I see you’ve met Peter already.” Tony led Harley to the couch and sat between the boys.

“Yeah, we just said hi,” Harley answered. “He’s your special intern, whatever that means.”

“It means that he helps me with a very important project and I value his input a lot.” Tony turned to face Peter and gave him a whole bunch of knowing winks. Peter was a little worried that Mr. Stark’s facial muscles might be malfunctioning.

“That sounds awesome! What kind of a project?” Harley asked with visible curiosity.

“I’m afraid it’s confidential,” Peter answered with his most serious voice. He didn’t want to tell this stranger about Spider-Man unless he saw for himself that he could be trusted.

“You used to let _me_ help you with projects.” Harley looked at Tony with a sad look on his face. “So that’s why you haven’t asked for my help these days. You replaced me…”

“Replace you?” Tony jumped. “No, I never did such a thing!”

“It’s okay. I live too far away, I knew this day would come. I just…”

“No, no, no! You’re both very dear to me. That’s why I wanted you boys to get to know each other. Come here.” Tony pulled Harley into a hug. It was horrible to think that he had paid so much attention to Peter that Harley had felt ignored. “I was just busy, you know me. You will never be replaced.”

Peter had his arms crossed while he watched the hug go on and on and on. Mr. Stark’s hugs were wonderful, so he couldn’t really blame Keener, but that didn’t mean he had to like what was happening. He was about to clear his throat with hopes that it might end the hug when Keener stuck out his tongue at him over Mr. Stark’s shoulder. So he stuck out his tongue too, wondering if he was just being playful. Then Keener gave him a look that screamed that he didn’t like him one bit. Wow, so much hate. And, the feeling was most definitely mutual.

“Okay, who’s hungry?” Tony patted Harley on the shoulder and got up. “I think it’s time for breakfast! Tom and Jerry have prepared a mountain of a meal for you growing boys and me, the man who still hopes to grow, so let’s eat!”

“Haha, you have the perfect height, Tony. And, it’s all about the proportions. You have nothing to worry about.” Harley followed Tony to the kitchen island.

Peter shook his head as he followed them. So the dude was not just a little shit but also a kissass. This was just great.

“FRIDAY, let Tom and Jerry know we’re ready for breakfast,” Tony ordered as he started to make some hot chocolate for the boys.

FRIDAY: “Right away, sir.”

Tony moved around, hoping that the boys would start a conversation on their own. Peter could be a little shy, but Harley definitely wasn’t, so why was he so quiet? Was he too sleepy to initiate a chat with a stranger? “Peter?”

“Yes?” Peter perked up from his seat. Mr. Stark was finally giving him some personal attention.

“Harley here asked me to borrow one of the Iron Man suits for Halloween. Do you want one too?”

“Oh, right. It’s Halloween in three days.” Peter remembered his friends talking about costumes, but he had been too busy with midterms, patrols, and thoughts about Silver and Kitty.

“You don’t do Halloween?” Harley asked as he eyed the mugs that were arranged on the counter. They read: ‘You are not alone, Mr. Stark’.

“I usually do. But this year, I’m just not feeling it.” Peter shrugged.

“Let me guess. Too busy with the super important project?” Harley glanced at the mugs again. They looked handmade.

“Yeah, that’s one of the reasons.” Peter smiled as Mr. Stark handed him one of the two Iron Man mugs that were filled with hot chocolate. “Thanks, Mr. Stark.”

‘Mr. Stark?’ Harley looked at the last mug on the counter. The fans would probably call Tony ‘Iron Man’ or ‘Tony Stark’ or ‘Tony’. Only those who worked for him would call him ‘Mr. Stark.’ Were the mugs a gift from this special intern? It seemed unlikely that regular interns would care about their boss being lonely. Unfortunately, he didn’t get any further with his musings as Tony’s chefs brought in the food. There were pancakes, French toasts, eggs cooked in different ways, salad, ham and sausages, and all kinds of fruit and pastries.

“Wow! This is a real feast, Mr. Stark!” Peter heard his stomach growl and dug into a stack of pancakes.

“This is a day to celebrate, so a feast is just the thing we need!” Tony sat across the boys and decided that he loved the view. They were displaying a healthy appetite and had beautiful smiles on their faces. He would have to remember to add big bonuses to Tom and Jerry’s paychecks. “Harley, why don’t you show Peter the Iron Man costumes you made?”

“Oh, yeah!” Harley pulled out his phone from his jeans and scrolled through the pictures. “Ever since I met Tony, I’ve always been Iron Man on Halloween.”

“Me too! Well, in my case, even _before_ I met him.” Peter smiled at the memories. May had always helped him with the costumes.

“At first, I was too short to wear a real Iron Man suit, so I made these.” Harley showed Parker pictures of some of his best work.

“Whoa! These look good!” Peter had to admit that the boy had skills. They almost looked custom-made rather than home-made.

“Thanks.” Harley grinned. “Tony came through with titanium alloy. Good material, good product. You know what else he did for me? He built me a workshop in the garage! Take a look at this!”

“Oh my god, that looks so amazing.” Peter stared at the picture in wonder. Mr. Stark had once again blessed a fan with his generosity. “I have a workstation in Mr. Stark’s private lab. It doesn’t look anything like this, but I’m grateful.”

“Oh, yeah? Sounds cool.” Harley put on a fake smile. It sounded fucking _weird_ , that was what it was.

“Yeah, I should put in more time over there.” Peter moved onto a bowl of fruit salad.

“Really? You don’t use your workstation that often? I thought you were busy with the confidential project.” Harley looked at Parker suspiciously.

“He usually works in the main lab,” Tony covered for Peter.

“I see.” Harley pretended to see it when he didn’t see it at all. What was this dude’s deal? Why did he have a workstation in Tony’s private lab if he didn’t use it that much? He had assumed that Tony had given him a room and access to his private lab because he had to work late into the night after the main lab was closed. But now he was starting to think that Parker might not be an intern at all, special or not. And, how close was he to his Iron dad? There was even a picture of them together right above the couch in the living room. It had replaced the picture of random but cute cats. There was a picture of Tony and _him_ on that wall too. It was from when Tony had taken him to Sweden for a skiing trip, but it obviously wasn’t the most cherished picture at the moment.

“Harley, do you want a tour of the place after breakfast?” Tony asked since it was Harley’s first time visiting the new facility.

“Yeah, I’d love that.”

Tony started to talk about the facility, but Harley could only spare him one of his ears. He was busy trying to figure out what Parker was actually here for. Tony wasn’t keeping him around for science projects, that much was clear. But why else would the man want a fifteen year old kid? And, why would he try to lie about their relationship? Wait… relationship? Oh my fucking god! Was Parker a boy toy?? Oh my god, that must be it! He didn’t think that Tony would sleep with a minor, so Parker must be eighteen or nineteen who was posing as a fifteen year old. That way, nobody would imagine that they were sleeping together! So _that_ was why Parker looked so old!

Peter felt funny as Keener kept throwing little glances at him. What was wrong with the guy? Why wasn’t he paying attention to what Mr. Stark was saying?

“Tony, can we play Twister after the tour?” Harley asked when Tony was done explaining. “All three of us?”

“You want to play Twister?” Tony raised an eyebrow. That was unexpected. Harley was usually into card games.

“Yes. Do you have it?” Harley figured that a game in which flexibility was key would offer him more proof that Parker was indeed a sex worker.

“I don’t, but not to worry. FRIDAY, tell Happy to get us a game of Twister, will you?”

FRIDAY: “Right away, sir.”

Tony was glad that Harley was asking for things. He had prepared a lot of entertainment for the weekend, but it was always better when the boys came forward with what they wanted.

Peter questioned Keener’s life choices while he finished his hot chocolate. What kind of a respectable teenager in the 21st century enjoyed playing Twisters? That game was so out of style! No offense to other states, but did Tennessee live _that_ far in the past?

FRIDAY: “Sir, Mr. Hogan is asking if he should get a regular one or an inflatable one.”

“There’s an inflatable one?” Tony beamed. “Then we should go for that one! Right, boys?”

“Yes, Mr. Stark,” Peter answered obediently.

“Sure,” Harley agreed. “And, we should get a pump for that.”

“Great idea. But do you guys know that we could also use a hair dryer?” Tony asked as he ate a few grapes. He grinned as the boys shook their heads. He loved these kinds of simple MacGyver moments. “We can also just use one of those big, black plastic bags and fill it with air. Then it’s a simple matter of pushing that air into the hole.”

“How do you know things like that?” Peter loved how Mr. Stark’s eyes twinkled when he talked about science.

“You’ll know much more than I do when you get to my age.” Tony smiled. “I’m going to teach you two everything I know.”

A rush of nerdy excitement ran through Peter’s body as he tried not to break his face with his grin. Mr. Stark probably knew almost everything there was to know! If he wanted to repay him even a little bit, he would have to be on his best behavior and make the man happy even if it meant playing such a boring game like Twister.

 

After a thorough tour of the facility, air had been pumped into the inflatable Twister mat. Everyone had enjoyed pumping air in many different ways and the game had begun. Tony seemed to be having a great time, but Harley didn’t care about the game itself. He was busy observing Parker’s moves and the way the two interacted. What did Tony see in him? He didn’t look particularly cute or pretty. Well, he had his age going for him and he was definitely flexible; a little _too_ flexible if you asked him. Had Tony found him in a circus? He also had puppy eyes and pouty lips going on which probably melted the hearts of lonely, old men.

Okay, Peter now felt more than funny as Keener threw him seriously weird glances. If he didn’t know any better, he would think that Keener was checking him out. His Spidey senses were dialed up to the limit and he could feel Keener’s eyes on his butt. He didn’t get it. Keener obviously didn’t like him, so why the sudden curiosity about his butt? Was he jealous? Did he not have a good butt?

Harley felt dirty as he saw the boy toy check out his butt. What was his angle here? Was he considering him as a potential client? Was he looking to earn more money while he was around? Now that he thought about it, what was he doing here? Why hadn’t Tony just hidden him in one of the many rooms of the many apartments downstairs? Gosh, he must’ve fallen hard for this boy if he had wanted him to meet this creeper. But really, the dude looked normal. Why couldn’t he get a more decent job? He had his whole life ahead of him! And, it didn’t seem like he was burdened by a crippling amount of debt. He had seen neighbors like that and there had been unmistakable darkness and fatigue in their eyes.

“It’s your turn, Peter.” Tony watched the boy spin the arrow with glee. This was so much fun! “Hahaha, you keep finding yourself in impossible positions, kid.”

"Urgh, the story of my life." Peter twisted his body a little more to get his left hand at the right spot.

Harley rolled his eyes despite holding a tricky position himself. They were talking about sex positions, right? Wow, the nerve on these guys! They had him over as a guest and they thought that he was stupid enough not to understand their coded words! In a fit of jealousy and annoyance, he pretended to sway a bit and pushed Tony with his elbow. The game had served its purpose; the lovebirds could fall under his feet.

“Oof!” Peter lost his balance and hit the mat when both Mr. Stark and Keener landed on top of him. He could’ve easily held their weight, but he had to be careful not to look superhuman in front of their insolent guest; he was pretty sure that Keener had pushed Mr. Stark on purpose. The man was wrong. Keener wasn’t a little shit. He was a _big_ shit! “Are you okay, Mr. Stark?”

“Yeah,” Tony answered as he pushed Peter’s foot away from his face and lifted Harley’s arm from his shoulder. “Are you guys all right?”

“Yeah. Sorry about that. My bad,” Harley apologized half-heartedly as he noticed how comfortable Parker seemed to be under Tony’s weight. Tony had muscles; he wasn’t a light guy. Nobody would look that comfortable while being pinned by their heavy boss unless they had been there often enough.

Harley’s suspicions only grew when they played Cards Against Humanity. He drew a black question card that read ‘But before I kill you, Mr. Bond, I must show you’ to which Tony picked a white answer card that read ‘My collection of high-tech sex toys’. He narrowed his eyes at Parker who giggled a little too much at the answer. Wow, he had absolutely no shame. While he had never thought about it before, he believed that Tony would definitely own such a collection. He would even make the toys himself. Oh gosh, was that what they did in the private lab? Eww! Then Parker drew a black card that read ‘I drink to forget’ and Tony answered it with ‘Poor life choices’. Hah!

Peter felt rather attacked by Keener’s open hostility. He drew a question card that said ‘In L.A. County Jail, word is you can trade 200 cigarettes for’ and Keener picked a card that said ‘The heart of a child’ while glaring at him. Then Mr. Stark got a question card that read ‘The inspiration for my startup’ and Keener chose to answer it with ‘A windmill full of corpses’ while raising an eyebrow at him! He understood that Keener was jealous. Just like himself, he must’ve thought that he was the only ‘Stark child’. But then, some random kid came along and started monopolizing Mr. Stark’s attention. That would surely make anyone bitter and angry. But he needed Mr. Stark’s mentoring to be a better superhero and Iron Man could always use more backup. He wondered if he should let Keener know that he was Spider-Man, but his pissy attitude made him reluctant to share a fragile secret with him.

_Growl._

“Oh my…” Tony rubbed his belly. “My super accurate body clock says it’s lunchtime, boys.” He put down the cards and got up.

“Can I sit next to you, Tony?” Harley asked, batting his eyelashes, as he followed Tony like a hopeful puppy.

Peter rolled his eyes as he heard Mr. Stark use his softest voice to grant him permission. The sound of Keener dragging his chair to the other side of the kitchen island grated on his nerves. The chair wasn’t _that_ heavy. He had zero muscles or what? And, didn’t he have any basic table manners? Seriously, what did Mr. Stark see in this menace? Who cared about his science awards when he was such an unpleasant human being?

“Isn’t this great?” Tony smiled at Peter and patted Harley’s arm. “We should do this more often!” He beamed, oblivious of the boys stiffening at his words. They seemed to be getting along well, exchanging plenty of looks, so there was no reason not to enjoy another tasty feast.

 

Lunch was eagerly devoured despite the despising looks from the rude brat and now it was time to make drones in Mr. Stark’s private lab. Peter smiled as he thought about his dear Droney. Mr. Stark was an expert at building drones. He was the one who had built Droney and all those security drones and delivery drones. It was always an honor to learn something new from Mr. Stark and a pleasure to spend some time with him. With his guidance, he was currently making a drone that picked up plastic garbage from the sea. They had talked about ocean pollution at school and he had read about a turtle that had a torn plastic bag lodged in its throat because it had thought that the bag was a jellyfish.

Harley was making a delivery drone that would help his mom and sister when he wasn’t around. He had already made two at home, one for each of them, but Tony had helpful pointers and better material so he wanted to make an upgraded one. He loved building things and he was thirsty for Tony’s approval. It brought him much bigger satisfaction than all those shiny science awards. He practically lived for that approval and couldn’t wait to become better and knock the man’s Gucci socks off.

Tony had no words to express how proud he was of both of his boys. They could’ve built racing drones or selfie drones like other fun-loving teenagers, but they had chosen to make drones to help others. And, boy, did they learn fast! They had useful ideas, steady and capable hands, and determination that allowed them to work through obstacles. As far as he was concerned, those three elements were what made an efficient engineer. He had no idea what he had done to deserve not one but two kids like that, but he fully appreciated it. He wanted to run upstairs and shout from the rooftop that he had amazing boys and that he loved them so much.

“Can I have a gum, Tony?” Harley asked as he looked inside the huge snack basket.

“Of course!” Tony encouraged the boy. “You don’t have to ask me, kiddo. I had Happy prepare all sorts of gum, chocolate, and candy, so knock yourself out.”

Peter swallowed a groan as he heard Keener chew his gum rather noisily. He couldn’t believe that he had to spend time with such a barbarian. He tried his best to ignore the sound, but it felt louder and louder as time went by. At some point, it got so loud that he was reminded of the song ‘Cell Block Tango’ from the musical ‘Chicago’. In the song, the guy Bernie kept ‘popping’ his gum instead of chewing it and got gunned down by his wife. He was also reminded of the card game from earlier. He wondered what you could get for the heart of a child in _New York_ County Jail. If it was the same as in L.A., what was he going to do with two hundred cigarettes? Oh well, he had super lungs now, so he could probably smoke like Logan and brag about his health.

He let out a sigh of relief when Keener had finally finished two gums and a candy which he had crunched at the end. He mentally patted himself on the back for his extraordinary patience. He thought of his heightened senses as a gift, but they weren’t easy to handle in times like these.

Harley took a good look at Parker’s drone. Okay, the guy was much smarter than he had expected. And, helping to clean the ocean was definitely a noble cause. So he was an actual intern. He just sold sex on the side. Or did he offer himself for free? It didn’t matter. That was none of his business. It _was_ his business though to make sure that he didn’t hurt Tony. So when Tony excused himself and took a trip to the bathroom, he grabbed Parker’s arm.

“I know who you really are,” Harley growled.

“You do…?” Peter gasped. Given Keener’s reaction, it didn’t look like he was a fan of Spider-Man.

“Listen, I don’t care what you do with Tony. But if you hurt him or embarrass him in any way…”

Peter huffed. “I would never hurt him and I’m doing my best to make him proud, okay? So back off.”

“Proud?” Harley was puzzled. “Proud of what? Your… physical abilities?”

It was Peter’s turn to be puzzled. Well, if you thought about it, he _was_ a superhero of the physical type. “Yes… and my dedication.”

“Dedication?” Harley snorted at Parker’s solemn tone. Usually, it was wonderful to see people show so much dedication to their work, but in this case, he couldn’t help but laugh.

“Are you _laughing_ …?” Peter felt his blood boil as he stared at the fucking disgrace of a human. He never asked for any recognition, but he didn’t think that he deserved to be laughed at.

Harley could only laugh harder as Parker’s face turned red. He looked like he was going to explode, but seriously, who would be _that_ dedicated to providing sex? So he wasn’t a gold digger. Then he must be a professional who truly believed that he could offer his clients the best service possible. Oh, god…

“What’s so funny, kiddo?” Tony came back and noticed that Harley was dying with laughter while Peter was shaking with rage. “Peter, what’s wrong?”

“Can we have ice cream, Mr. Stark?” Peter clenched his fists and tried to focus on his hero’s face. “I really need ice cream. Please.”

“Sure. FRIDAY, send out a delivery drone to Baskin Robbins. They know what Peter likes. And…”

Peter tuned out the rest of Mr. Stark’s order and kept taking deep breaths. This gathering was a huge mistake. He should’ve just said hi to Keener and gone downstairs. While he didn’t want to leave Mr. Stark alone with the little fucker, he decided that it would be best if he stayed out of the way. It was never too late to make the right choice; he was going to get his ice cream and go cry in his bed. He hated that he didn’t feel like calling Keener by his first name. He hated that he felt terrible enough to use swear words even if it was only in his mind. And, he hated that he might’ve kicked the ass if he hadn’t been superhuman. Keener brought out the worst in him!

“Ice cream!” Harley ran towards the drone and pulled out his cup of ice cream from its claw. Then he hesitated, but now that they had had that little chat, he thought that he could be nice to Peter. So he took off the wrap on Peter’s cone and pulled it out of the drone’s grip. “Oops…”

Peter watched helplessly as his double scoop chocolate mousse ice cream fell to the floor. This was it. His emergency ice cream was gone. He wasn’t going to make it to his bed. He was going to crumble right here right now and bawl his eyes out.

“I’m sorry! It was an accident!” Harley swore, but it didn’t look like Peter was buying it.

“Don’t worry, Peter. It’s just ice cream. We can get another one. FRIDAY, get him another ice cream cone right away,” Tony ordered in a hurry.

Peter pushed his right hand in the pocket of his hoodie and squeezed his fidget spinner. Mr. Stark had made it for him and it was the only thing that he could think of that could stop him from breaking down.

_Crunch._

Tony winced at the horrible sound. “Well, it’s called a fidget ‘spinner’, not a fidget ‘squeezer’,” he mumbled. He had tried to make it light and strong with the little material that he had found in Beijing, but it hadn’t been enough. “No worries, kid. I’ll make you a new one. A much better one!”

Harley gasped when Peter pulled out his hand and opened his palm. The fidget spinner had been crushed to bits and pieces. How in burning hell could he be that strong?! No human being could possibly… Then it finally clicked. “Oh my fucking god!! You must be Spider-Man!!”

“Language!” Tony groaned into his hands. The day had started out perfectly, but now everything was falling apart.

What…? Peter wondered if he was hearing things. What was Keener talking about? Hadn’t the fucker given him hell all day for being Spider-Man?

“Oh my god, it all makes sense now! Hahaha…” Harley chortled. “ _That_ was your important project! And, _that_ was why you were so flexible! And, _that_ was why you wanted to make Tony proud. Ahahaha, all this time, I thought you were sleeping with him! Ahahaha…”

“What…?” Peter paled.

Tony couldn’t even make a sound. What on earth just came out of Harley’s mouth?

Harley was nearly in tears. “I didn’t make the connection because I read that Spider-Man went to a boarding school! I thought he lived there! And, when I asked Tony about Spider-Man, he didn’t want to talk about him too much. So when he looked excited to introduce you to me, I figured you were someone else! Oh, god… This is too funny. I’m sorry I was so bitchy. I thought you were a gold digger or a whore!”

Peter gasped. “Eww! Like serious eww!! No offense, Mr. Stark, but…”

“Offense taken!! Why are you ewwing? _I’m_ the one who he thought was sleeping with a minor!” Tony threw his hands in the air.

“I didn’t! I thought you two were lying about his age!” Harley explained helpfully.

“What?! Oh my god, don’t even look this way, Mr. Stark,” Peter joked as he felt giggles bubbling up his throat. This was an absolute disaster.

“I’m not looking at you! _You_ don’t look this way! _You’re_ the adoring fanboy here!” Tony was barely handling the laughter that was about to burst out of him. “This is just…” Then he lost it. A violent shiver convulsed him as he doubled over.

“Bwhahaha…” Harley was on the floor, tapping weakly at his cup of ice cream, as tears streamed down his face. Peter was cackling and hiccupping as he slowly walked to the kitchen to empty his pocket. Tony somehow managed to reach the couch and laughed with his hands on his belly.

“I’m really sorry, Peter.” Harley wiped the tears off his cheeks with the back of his hand. “I’m a big fan, you know.”

“You are?” Peter felt the fight in him leave as Harley’s eyes twinkled. It was bad karma to attack a fan.

“Give me two seconds.” Harley held up a finger and ran to the guestroom.

FRIDAY: “Sir, Peter’s new ice cream has just arrived.”

“Perfect!” Tony got up and executed the pullout with deadly focus. “Here you go, Peter. No accidents this time.”

“Thanks, Mr. Stark. Please try not to grope my hand.” Peter gave him a cheeky wink.

Tony was about to put the kid in his place when Harley came back with his Spider-Man notebook.

“This is one of my design notebooks. Do you think you could sign it on the inside? Please?” Harley held out a pen, looking a little nervous.

“Sure.” Peter smiled and signed it: ‘To the best fan of the day’. “Can we enjoy our ice creams now?”

“Yes,” Tony answered. “You boys go sit on the couch while I get Tom and Jerry on popcorn duty. We’re going to watch ‘The Revengers: Infinity Peace’.”

“The Infinity Peace?” Harley’s eyes grew wide.

“But that one hasn’t even come out yet!” Peter squealed in delight.

“I know.” Tony gave the boys his smuggest grin. “But guess who pulled some strings for his favorite boys? Guess who borrowed the film for twenty-four hours that just came out of the editing room??”

Harley screamed as he jumped up and down and Peter happily laughed into his ice cream. Harley wanted to know more about the relationship between Iron Woman and Blue Widow while Peter couldn’t wait to find out what happened to Captain Antarctica’s friend, the Summer Solider.

Tony took care of the ice cream on the floor and gave out a few orders to FRIDAY before settling down between the boys. “We’re all good now? Nobody wants to squeeze something into non-existence or worry about teenage rent boys?”

“We’re good now.” Harley sent Peter a hopeful look.

“Yeah, I think we’re okay.” Peter gave Harley a smile and licked up his ice cream.

“Good!” Tony threw his arms around the boys and pulled them closer to him. The day might be salvageable after all.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More Harley coming up in the next chapter!


	16. Today’s problem: Peter & Harley

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter and Harley are shocked that they can stand each other. They might even go as far as considering themselves brothers. Tony just loves having his boys with him for another day and thinks they're the cutest and the sweetest of all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1) A picture of Peter and Harley: 
> 
> 2) I'm terribly sorry for such a late update D: Exhausting schedule + eye problems + writer's block combo attacked me pretty badly, but I think things are much better now. Hopefully, this means that I could update once more before the new year comes.  
>  

__

_In the previous chapter…_

Harley had come to spend the weekend with his Iron Dad and his ‘special intern’. Having no idea that Peter was Spider-Man, he had assumed (based on several observations) that Peter was an intern who slept with Tony. But Peter had crushed his fidget spinner with his bare hand after spending a miserable day because of Harley’s hostility and Harley had finally realized that Peter was Spider-Man.

 

Tony yawned and stretched in bed, feeling a deep level of contentment. He couldn’t remember the last time that he had felt so peaceful. He was a superhero who defended the city and a businessman who never settled for the status quo, so the word ‘peace’ had left his vocabulary quite some time ago. But as he recognized Charles’ presence in his mind and heard his boys chatting in the living room, he felt totally at peace.

_‘Good morning, Charles,’_ he tossed a thought at his friend.

_‘Morning, darling. I can’t help but notice that your mind is burning more brightly today,’_ Charles added a tickle to his thought.

Tony chuckled. _‘It’s a Sunday and it’s a nice one.’_

_‘Ah, feeling like a proud papa perhaps?’_ Charles remembered hearing about Tony’s first-born coming to visit.

_‘Yeah. Having one boy was already amazing, but having two is… I don’t even know how to describe it.’_ Tony sighed happily as he replayed yesterday’s highlights in his head.

_‘Aww…’_ Charles enjoyed the memory show with a big smile on his face. _‘See? That’s why I have a good day every day. It’s impossible to have bad days with children around.’_

_‘Unless your ex takes a few of…’_ Tony hadn’t meant to think that and cut off his thought, but he had already thought too much. _‘Sorry.’_

_‘It’s all right.’_ Charles gave a mental shrug. _‘It won’t happen again. I told him that if he tries to recruit from my children one more time, well... let’s just say that I used some very colorful words.’_

Tony shivered with excitement at the thought of Charles destroying Lehnsherr without even lifting a finger. Oh, what a sight that would be! _‘Charles, I tell you this time and time again, but it’s such a relief that you have the best morals. That said… if you ever decide to command the world, I want to be your head engineer. Let me make that clear.’_

Charles laughed. _‘But what about Hank?’_

Tony made a dismissive gesture with his hand. _‘He’s still young. He can be my right hand.’_

_‘Hmm, I don’t know. I was hoping you’d be my personal servant.’_

_‘Personal servant? Like a sex slave?’_ Tony joked.

_‘Well, we never got to role-play ‘The Greek god and his favorite slave’ often enough…’_ Charles wondered if it was all right to bring up such a subject, but he felt like their relationship had always been open to all kinds of ‘inappropriate’ comments.

Tony moaned as Charles filled his mind with explicit memories of that particular scenario. They hadn’t needed any costumes; Charles had been able to make them see themselves wearing togas. They had even made out against a column of a Greek temple that Charles had conjured up in his mind. But it hadn’t been the revealing costumes or the scenario that had turned him on so much. As always, it had been about the lethal combination of Charles’ superior brain power and godlike superpower. Charles being Charles, their imaginary backgrounds had been historically accurate. He himself had never cared what an authentic Greek column looked like, but Charles had done some research pre-coitus.

Urgh, Charles was wonderful. He had the power to be devastatingly dangerous, yet he chose to be a benign force that only intervened when the world was in trouble. People assumed that he himself would be into bad boys, but at the end of the day, he was drawn to the good ones. And, at this moment, he was really feeling drawn to the memory of Charles’ bubble bu…

_Knock-knock._

“Mr. Stark! Are you okay?”

Tony groaned at the sound of Peter’s voice. For a few moments, he had completely forgotten about the boys. “Yes, I’m okay.”

Charles chuckled in his friend’s head. _‘Don’t worry. I know just the thing to say to cool you off.’_

_‘Really? I’m intrigued.’_ Tony adjusted himself and tried to think of cute, little baby birds.

_‘Are you aware that Harley has a girlfriend?’_

_‘… What?’_ Tony felt his brain freeze.

_‘They were just talking about her.’_

_‘No, no, no!’_ Tony shot up in bed. _‘Why can’t kids these days appreciate being single? Why do they keep finding people?!’_

_Knock-knock._

“Mr. Stark! Are you really okay?!”

Tony felt bad for worrying Peter, so he said in his brightest voice, “No worries, kid! I’m peachy!”

He didn’t think that Peter was buying it since he heard someone try the doorknob before the door came off its hinges.

“Tony!!”

“Mr. Stark!!”

Tony blinked at the sight of Harley armed with his potato gun Mark VI and Peter gently putting down the door with a confused look on his face.

FRIDAY: “Sir, I told them there was no intruder in the bedroom, but they wouldn’t believe me. They think that I’m easily hackable as if I don’t have the toughest firewalls on the planet.”

Tony sighed as Charles gave him a mental hug and left his mind with a chuckle. The morning had started out beautifully, but now he had to soothe an A.I. whose ego had been hurt and come up with a plausible excuse to comfort the kids. Ah, how the tide had turned…

 

“So what happened in there?” Harley asked Tony as they dug into breakfast.

“Oh, nothing to worry your pretty little head about.” Tony shrugged. “I was just really excited for the day ahead. It’s a Sunday and I get to spend it with you boys! I have plenty of things planned for us!”

Harley narrowed his eyes at Tony. That obviously wasn’t it, but if he didn’t want to talk, fine. The man should be allowed to keep a secret in his own house.

“What _are_ we doing today?” Peter was just happy to know that Mr. Stark hadn’t been in any danger.

“For a starter, I’ve got you boys new bikes and we’re going to ride all the way to an apple farm! Woo-hoo!” Tony cheered. As a kid, he had gone apple picking with Charles and Raven. They had all been teenagers and had required an adult for supervision, but Raven had transformed into Charles’ mother and the problem had been solved. Raven had whined that he and Charles had only let her tag along because they had needed an adult, but they had actually been happy to have her around. The weather had been beautiful and the apples had been delicious and oh… he was so not thinking about Charles’ apple butt.

“Is it a mountain bike by any chance?” Harley asked, bringing Tony out of his memories.

“Of course it is! One of the coolest models out there!”

“Oh my god, yes!! You’re the best, Tony! You always have been, but even more so today!” Harley shot up from his seat and ran around the kitchen island to throw his arms around Iron Dad.

Tony grinned as he hugged the boy back. He remembered FRIDAY telling him about all the mountain bike posts that Harley had ‘liked’ on Instagram.

Peter scrunched up his nose. He realized that he still didn’t like the sight of Harley hugging Mr. Stark. Perhaps this was what it was like to have a sibling. Perhaps this was why Loki always tried to get rid of Thor. “Ahem! When do we leave? Right after breakfast?”

Harley left Tony’s arms and went back to his seat. Peter was staring daggers at him.

“Nope. We fix the bedroom door first.” Tony chuckled at Peter’s face that had turned pink with embarrassment.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Stark.” Peter cringed as he looked at the door that was leaning against the wall. He felt like it was judging him.

“It’s okay, kid. You were trying to save me. My heroes!” Tony leaned forward and pinched the boys’ cheeks. They let out undignified squeaks which were the cutest sounds in his world.

“So what’s your favorite Iron Man moment?” Harley asked Peter as he enjoyed a chocolate éclair. They had already geeked out over all the Iron Man merchandise they had while Tony had been asleep.

“Apart from our personal moments with him?” Peter swallowed the rest of his croissant as he put his gears to work.

“Well, yeah. Otherwise, we’d both be picking our own moments. Unless you’ve always dreamed of sharing a garage with a battered Iron Man suit and an exhausted superhero.” Harley gave Tony a wink as he reminisced about their first encounter. “Wait, is that even an Iron Man moment?”

“You think it’s more of a Tony Stark moment?” Peter raised his eyebrow.

“I don’t know.” Harley shrugged. “I mean, Tony was there with his suit, but he wasn’t in it.”

Tony laughed as the boys put on such serious faces over such a small matter. How adorable. They were going to make him sick.

“I think that’s a ‘Tony Stark, the man behind Iron Man’ moment,” Peter said. “We’ll get to those after we’re done with the Iron Man ones.”

“Yeah. Then we should do our favorite ‘Tony Stark, the CEO of Stark Industries’ moments,” Harley suggested.

“Good idea. What about your favorite ‘Tony Stark, the best father figure’ moments?” Tony squeezed himself into the conversation. He would love to hear about what he had done right for the kids.

“Great. We’re never going to reach that apple farm.” Harley sighed.

“We’ll just have to concentrate and talk really fast,” Peter said with determination. “We do have the brains for that, right?”

“Right,” Harley agreed. He thought that he was smarter than Peter, but whatever.

Tony couldn’t stop smiling as food went into the boys and his greatest achievements spewed out of them. He felt like he was dreaming. It had already been surreal enough to have breakfast with two amazing boys who thought so highly of him. He felt as if he was being worshipped. He felt beautiful and powerful like a god. He wished that Heimdall could see them right now so he could shout ‘Eat your heart out, Thor!’

He took a look at his Stark pad where FRIDAY was taking notes for him. He also had her record the conversation in case he needed a moral boost in the future.

_Peter’s favorite moments:_  
\- Iron Man: saving thirteen people falling out of the plane (when he could only carry four)  
\- Tony Stark as Iron Man: declaring to the world that he was Iron Man  
\- Tony Stark as the CEO of Stark Industries: stopping weapons manufacturing  
\- Tony Stark as a father figure: every single one of them 

_Harley’s favorite moments:_  
\- Iron Man: sending the nuke into the wormhole  
\- Tony Stark as Iron Man: building the first Iron Man suit in a cave  
\- Tony Stark as the CEO of Stark Industries: offering scholarships  
\- Tony Stark as a father figure: hopefully yet to come 

Tony grinned and put down the Stark pad. He wished that he could shower the kids with gifts, but all the parenting books had claimed that less was better. That was the only reason why he hadn’t bought them skyscrapers and private jets. He had to settle for bikes for now, but he couldn’t wait to go bigger and heavier as they grew older. For once, he thought of the future not in terms of technological advancement but in terms of the kids’ growth. This was new territory, but luckily for him, he got a guide in Charles.

 

The bedroom door had been fixed, the snacks had been packed, and the squeals had been made over the bikes. Now it was finally time to get the show on the road... or so Tony had thought.

“Do you think that sweater’s warm enough?” Tony cocked his head at Harley. “It’s the end of October, you know.”

“Should I go change?”

“Yes, that would make me feel better. And, don’t forget your scarf!” Tony sent him back to the guest room and turned his attention to Peter. “Hey, kid. I know you’re superhuman so you won’t catch a cold.”

“But…?”

“But it can’t be pleasant to _feel_ cold. So go get some thicker pants.”

“Yes, Mr. Stark.” Peter turned around to leave.

“Don’t forget to pee too!”

Peter sighed. “Mr. Stark, I’m not six. I think I can figure out my own bladder schedule.”

“Just hit the bathroom one more time, okay? If I’ve learned anything from all those battles, it’s that you can never fully trust your bladder. Trust me on this.”

“Okay…” Peter fled, trying not to imagine JARVIS or FRIDAY locating the nearest men’s room and Iron Man twitching a little as he flew towards it at full speed.

After the boys had passed Tony’s stern test, they all ran out with their bikes and the race was on. To nobody’s surprise, Peter was in the front, putting his super strength to good use. Harley was in the middle, putting his young legs to good use. He was wearing the Spider-Man mask and the Iron Man glove, courtesy of the two superheroes. Then there was Tony in the back, reminding himself of the phrase ‘last but not least’. He had actually opted to stay behind the kids to keep an eye on them and to witness their joy, but they didn’t need to know that.

“Dear lord, this is intense!” Tony cried, half-acting and half-meaning it. “I don’t know how we’re going to ride back home after this! It’s like the _Thor_ de France!”

“Ahahaha…” The boys giggled under the bright blue sky.

“If you don’t like it, we could always go for Cirque du Soleil.” Peter laughed and did a dangerous stunt with his bike.

“Whoa! Be careful, kid!” Tony cried again, fully meaning it this time. “I’m going to settle for anything other than ‘E.R.’ or ‘General Hospital’, okay?”

But of course that was when Harley decided to say, “You know, in ‘Captain Antarctica: Summer Soldier’, Bulky snatches the handle of someone else’s motorcycle with his metal hand. In mid-air!”

“I know! That’s the coolest scene ever!” Peter squealed.

“Damn right!” Harley nodded. “I have this Iron Man glove on, so I…”

“No, no, no! Nobody’s going to…” Tony paled before he realized that Harley was only messing with him. “Okay, I’m going to need that glove back.”

“Already?” Harley’s eyes grew wide.

“Yes, already.” Tony kept a hand on the bike’s handle and held out his other hand.

Peter felt for Harley since it brought back memories of getting his Spider-Man suit confiscated.

“But Peter actually did a dangerous trick! I was just pretending!”

Okay, Peter _didn’t_ feel for Harley at all.

“You’re right,” Tony admitted. “But you almost gave me a heart attack. He’s superhuman, kiddo. He can take a hit. But people like you and I can’t.”

“I’m sorry, Tony. I was never going to do it… Can I please keep it for a little longer? I’ll behave. I promise.”

“Fine, kiddo. But never again.” Tony shuddered. “And, here I thought I was going to die on the battlefield.”

He had obviously said the wrong thing since both of the boys had stopped their bikes.

“You’re not dying on the battlefield, Mr. Stark,” Peter tried to keep his voice calm.

“Well, yeah, that’s what I meant. At this rate, I’m surely going to die of a heart…”

“He means that you’re going to die in a very nice bed when you’re very, very old!” Harley cut off Tony’s words. He normally wouldn’t do that, but this was an important point to make.

“Okay, guys, chill. I got the message.” Tony couldn’t help but smile. The kids were worried about him. “I’m Iron Man, remember? And, I keep upgrading my armor so I can stay as safe as possible. Besides, Spider-Man’s got my back, right?”

“That’s right.” Peter nodded. “And, Harley’s going to study biomedical engineering to help you out.”

Harley blinked. “I am…?”

“Well, yeah. Otherwise who are we going to trust when Mr. Stark needs a new limb or a new organ?” Peter crossed his arms.

“That’s a good point…” Harley found that he liked the idea a lot. “And, if he gets old, we’ll just replace his organs one by one and make him live for two hundred years or something.”

“Yeah, he used to have an arc reactor in his chest. I don’t think his body’s going to reject much.”

Tony chuckled and resisted the urge to clutch at his chest; he was having a hard time dealing with the cuteness overload. He didn’t want to frighten the boys, but his heart was beating fast so he grabbed his bike and pedaled as fast as he could.

“Mr. Stark!” Peter cried.

“Wait for us!” Harley yelled and jumped back on his bike.

“Hurry up, boys! We don’t have all day!” Tony wondered if he should’ve gotten a tandem bike and let Peter do all the work. But Pepper and Happy had been pestering him to work out more since Iron Man wasn’t getting any official exercise and he didn’t want Harley to feel left out. Thankfully, his legs cooperated and they made it to the apple farm that Jarvis had used to know.

“KAREN, is the coast clear?” Peter asked under a tree, ready to climb it, when Harley had put the Spider-Man mask back on. He had taken it off while entering the farm to not raise any suspicions.

“Yeah, she says there’s only Tony and the farmer around,” Harley confirmed. He did a 360, enjoying the high-tech mask pointing out all the things in his sight. “Wow, this mask is awesome! How do you get yourself to take it off? I wouldn’t want to leave KAREN ever! She even has a pretty voice! Ow! What was that for?”

Peter tried not to smile as he climbed a little higher. He was already sharing Mr. Stark indefinitely; there was no way he was going to share KAREN too. “Sorry. Did it hurt?”

Harley shook his head. The mask had provided enough cushion for the apple dropped on his head. “Why didn’t KAREN warn me though?”

Peter wanted to say, ‘Because she’s loyal to me, bi*ch,’ but May had raised him right, so he just shrugged his shoulders. “I’m going to need that mask back,” he imitated Mr. Stark’s voice.

“What? Why?” Harley opened the sack so Peter could drop more apples, preferably not on his head.

“Because Mr. Stark would want us to spend time together face to face.” Peter congratulated himself for coming up with such a decent excuse. If he was being honest, he just wanted his girl back.

“Eh, you have a point. Bye-bye, KAREN.” Harley took off the mask and threw it up the tree.

Peter leapt into the air, caught the mask, and did a double flip before landing on the ground in his superhero pose.

“Show off!” Harley accused, but he was smiling brightly. His little sister wasn’t too bad, but he now had a superhero brother! This was beyond his wildest dreams! Both his Iron dad and his Spidey brother were real superheroes! How many people in the world could say something like that?

“I see you boys have already gathered a lot.” Tony approached the kids and looked inside the sack.

“Yeah, we did.” Harley pulled out an apple. “Do you want a bite?”

“Nah, the ones that are already on the ground taste sweeter.” Tony looked around and picked up three apples from under the tree. “Try these.”

“Wow, is there anything you don’t know, Mr. Stark?” Peter asked in awe as he took the apple from him.

“Kiss ass…” Harley coughed. He wasn’t any better, but he still wanted to point it out.

“I’m glad you asked.” Amusement gleamed in Tony’s eyes. “There _is_ something I don’t know. Like the name of Harley’s girlfriend, for instance.”

Harley gasped before glaring at Peter. “You traitor!”

“It wasn’t me! I didn’t tell him,” Peter said in his sweetest voice. As far as he was concerned, that was karma taking care of Harley for calling him a kiss ass. He loved how karma didn’t wait around and did its job swiftly.

Tony wondered if Harley had given Peter the name of his girlfriend. The word ‘girlfriend’ alone gave him highly unpleasant feelings. He also wondered if there was a way he could get the girl to switch schools, preferably far away from Tennessee. According to Peter, Alaska was beautiful this time of year.

“Were you ever going to tell me?” Tony looked at Harley who gave him a sheepish smile.

“Of course! I was going to tell you first, but I was worried that you might not like her.”

“How perceptive of you. I obviously wouldn’t like her because nobody can be good enough for you,” Tony stated. “But I would try to understand why you like her.”

“Wow, that’s such a mature answer, Anthony. I’m very proud of you,” Harley imitated Professor X’s British accent.

Tony rolled his eyes as the boys burst into laughter. “Haha, very funny. Now let’s hurry with the apples. Remember that we have to make candy apples out of these and carve some pumpkins before we hit the orphanage. Harley can only stay so long.”

Peter perked up at Mr. Stark’s last words. He was thrilled that tomorrow was a school day.

 

“Ehehehe…” Peter giggled as he admired his own handiwork. His pumpkin had Spidey eyes just like him!

“I think someone had too much sugar already,” Harley commented as he took another bite of his candy apple.

“Dum-E, poke your boyfriend in the butt if he tries to eat another candy apple,” Tony ordered as he assessed his pumpkin’s goatee with a critical eye.

_Beep._

“I’m not sugar high, Mr. Stark. I just really like these.” Peter giggled again. May had never let him have more than one candy apple per day, worried that he might get a cavity. But he now had a super immune system and a super stomach and Mr. Stark had let him eat as many as he wanted.

“How many apples can you eat anyway?” Tony asked. “You know what, don’t answer that. Plausible deniability is good in case May tries to question me.” He pushed the tray full of candy apples farther away from the boy.

“They say ‘ _An_ apple a day keeps the doctor away’.” Harley took a big bite of his candy apple near Peter’s ear so the delicious sound could reach the center of his soul.

“Urgh, you can be a real pain in the ass sometimes.” Peter pushed him away without much heat behind his words.

“Harley, be nice to your brother.” Tony tapped his chin, trying to figure out a way to fix the goatee.

“He pushed me just now!” Harley whined as he finished up his Minions pumpkins.

“Peter, be nice to your brother.” Tony wondered if these were the words that Odin had to say most often.

“It was a gentle push.” Peter tickled Harley this time and made him squeak as he walked past him. “Do you need help, Mr. Stark?”

“With my goatee? No thanks. But I’m sure the orphanage could use a few more Spidey pumpkins.” Tony smiled and gave him a thumb up.

Peter grinned back. “You got it!”

Peter picked up his carving knife and got started. He was the only one of the three who wasn’t using an electric carving knife. While he was usually a big fan of high tech, he sometimes found himself being incredibly fond of old-school stuff. For example, while he absolutely treasured Mr. Stark’s Spider-Man suit, he was also quite fond of his homemade suit that could still handle some basic yet important functions.

FRIDAY: “Sir, the pumpkin soup, pizzas, and presents are ready to go.”

“Already? They’re loaded onto the delivery drones?” Tony put down his carving knife.

FRIDAY: “Yes, sir. And, Mr. Hogan is ready to drive you to the orphanage whenever you come downstairs.”

“Perfect! You boys wrap things up here and bring down the last of the pumpkins. I’ll take these candy apples and get Tom and Jerry to wrap them up.” Tony got Dum-E to help him and left the apartment.

“You know,” Harley mused as he patted his one-eyed Minion on the head. “At least, you won’t have to worry about Halloween decorations around here. You can just shoot your webs everywhere.”

“Haha, that would be cool.” Peter smiled. “But my webs aren’t a party trick. They’re a scientific invention.” He held up a finger to make his point.

“And, it’s a very good invention,” Harley admitted. “How did you make the web fluid?”

“I’m sorry, Harley, but I can’t tell you. It’s a secret.”

Harley thought for a few moments. “Hmm, it’s probably based on long chain polyamide, isn’t it?”

Peter gasped as Harley elaborated on his answer. How had he guessed right? It had taken him quite a while to get the composition right. He didn’t have time to think about it though; Mr. Stark and Happy were expecting them downstairs and they had kids to impress.

 

The visit to the orphanage had turned out to be a success. Peter had met some Spider-Man fans and had wanted to tell them who he really was. Harley had smirked every time he saw Peter bite his tongue. The superhero life wasn’t for him, but he thought that Peter would grow into it just fine. Most of the kids had recognized Tony and he had run the show as everyone had expected.

They had only stayed at the orphanage for a few hours, but after a light dinner back at Tony’s, it was already time for Harley to go home. While Happy busied himself moving an Iron Man suit, a delivery drone, and a mountain bike into the jet, Tony handed Harley a manila envelope and a fidget spinner on the airstrip.

Harley peeked into the envelope. “What is all this? And, you already made me a spinner, remember? Which I love, love, love.”

“That one’s for your girlfriend,” Tony clarified. “And, the documents are what Charles and FRIDAY prepared for you in case you two… get cozy.”

Peter cackled as he remembered how awkward Mr. Stark’s attempt at safe sex talk had been.

“Oh… okay.” Harley decided that it was best not to question it. He could burn whatever was in the envelope later. “Why is the spinner so thick and heavy though?”

“Because I used the material left after making Peter’s new spinner,” Tony explained. “Last night, I didn’t know who to give it to, but there you go. If she carries it around for long enough, it should give her a strong grip.” That was a joke.

“Really? She does boxing. I don’t know if boxers need strong grips, but anything strong is good, right?”

Tony frowned at Harley twinkling his eyes. He was secretly hoping that the gift would make her puzzled. Who would want to carry around something so heavy? He was hoping that he could send her many more gifts like these. Did Alaska have a ‘boxing with the bears’ program? If not, they should. Perhaps Happy knew someone who taught boxing in a remote country, preferably in an area without access to Wi-Fi. “Just remember, kiddo, I’m always watching.”

Harley laughed as Tony pointed at his own eyes and then at his and then back at his own eyes. He smiled and threw his arms around his Iron dad. “Thanks for everything, Tony. I thought I’d have to wait till winter to see you, but I got to see you earlier. Can I still come over on my winter break?”

“Sure, kiddo. Can’t wait.” Tony hugged the boy back and gave him a kiss on the top of the head. He had no idea why the weekend was already coming to an end, but it was late and he could hear Peter yawning.

Harley squeezed Tony affectionately and moved to his left. He only hesitated for a second before pulling Peter into a hug. It had been quite the experience to meet the other ‘Stark kid’ who happened to be Spider-Man. He patted Peter on the back and pulled himself away. “Be careful out there.”

Peter hadn’t expected that, but he couldn’t deny the warmth he felt in his heart. “Aww, are you worried about me?”

“Pfft, no. I’m worried that Tony might faint if something happens to you. Me, I can take care of myself. But you, I’m not so sure…”

Peter giggled. “You’re going to protect yourself with what? That potato gun?”

“Hey, it has more firepower than you think!”

“Yeah, I’m sure nobody will see it coming.”

Harley laughed and went up the stairs of the jet. He waved at Tony who looked a little sad and at Peter who looked a little happy. “Well, until next time then.”

The door closed and the jet took off into the night sky. Peter waved until he couldn’t see Harley’s face anymore even with his sharp eyes. “Um, I think he’s nice… Nice man. Solid dude.”

Tony chuckled and ruffled Peter’s hair. “You don’t have to try so hard anymore. It’s just you and me again.”

Peter couldn’t stop the grin that spread on his face. He liked the sound of that. Harley had turned out to be standable, but it was still a relief that he had left.

“Okay, it’s your bedtime, kiddo.” Tony threw an arm around Peter’s shoulders and walked him back inside the building.

Peter beamed. Mr. Stark had called him ‘kiddo’! He wished that Harley was around to hear it, but oh well… he could always let him know via Instagram. “You know, he actually guessed the chemical composition of my web fluid. On the spot, just like that! That was pretty impressive.”

Tony laughed and Peter already knew that he wasn’t going to like the answer when he asked, “Why are you laughing?”

“Because he asked me about it when you were taking that phone call from Silver and I told him.” Tony laughed some more.

Peter gasped in French: le gasp! That sneaky little shit!!

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas, everyone! :D


	17. Today’s problem: The raging forest fire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charles gets a call from the mayor of California which leads to the X-Men and the Avengers teaming up for a rescue/evacuation mission.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1) Happy new year, guys :D I wish all your favorite characters would survive the Infinity War! Thanks for sticking with this story into the new year. I hope to finish it before April 26th when the "Avengers: Infinity War" rolls out. (Fingers crossed!)
> 
> 2) As you can guess by another extremely late update, I'm sadly still struggling with eye irritation and writer's block. Thank you so much for your kind understanding and patience :)
> 
> 3) For those of you who watched the show 'Teen Wolf', there's an Easter egg in here :D

_  
In the previous chapter…_

Peter had enjoyed a fun day with Mr. Stark and Harley. They had gone apple picking and had visited the local orphanage with homemade candy apples and self-carved pumpkins. Peter had come to realize that Harley wasn’t so bad, but he had still been happy when he had left for home.

 

“Attention, students.”

Peter jumped as Professor Xavier’s voice boomed through the loudspeakers. He had just walked into the classroom with Kurt to start the day.

“There’s been a forest fire in California and the mayor of California has asked for the X-Men’s help. Storm is going to work on putting out the fire, but we need volunteers to help evacuating people and animals. We’re teaming up with the Avengers and the first team has just left with Storm, Logan, Darwin, Iceman, Vision, and Sergeant Rhodes. We will accept volunteers with powers relevant to the crisis or who can fly. Please remember that you’re not obligated to sign up, but if you wish to, you need to be at least fifteen years old. If you’re interested, speak to me in your head after this announcement. And, the rest of you can help by guarding the school. You never know if someone’s going to use this opportunity to attack us. Time is of the essence, so if you’d like to volunteer, please hurry. Wheels up in twenty.”

Peter gasped and thought pointedly towards the professor’s office. He wasn’t used to telepathic communication yet, so he tried his best not to shout. _‘I’m in, Professor. Count me in.’_

“What an announcement.” Silver appeared out of nowhere.

“I know!” Peter didn’t want to get excited when there was a fire, but recent patrols around the area had proved to be quite boring and he craved for some real action. “I didn’t even know that Vision and Mr. Rhodes were back. Where’s Mr. Stark though?”

“In the professor’s office?” Kurt took a guess. “You both signed up, right?”

Peter and Silver nodded. That was when Charles talked to the selected volunteers in their heads and asked them to join him on the airstrip.

“I’ve got this,” Kurt told Silver who was about to run and teleported all three of them.

“Mr. Stark!” Peter grinned as he spotted the man standing next to his Iron Man suit.

“Hey, kid.” Tony winked at the boy. “Time to suit up.”

Peter pulled out the foldable dressing screen that Ned had made for him and set it up in a corner. It came in handier than he had thought.

“‘Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass but learning to dance in the rain.’” Silver read a quote off one side of the dressing screen. “Good quote. But shouldn’t it be _inside_ the screen?”

“There are quotes in here too,” Peter answered as he took off his clothes. “‘If ‘Plan A’ didn’t work, the alphabet has 25 more letters. Stay cool.’”

“That’s cute,” Kurt commented and read another quote. “‘If God brings you to it, he will bring you through it.’”

“Makes sense.” Silver nodded and heard the telltale sound of Peter pushing the spider on his chest to get the suit to cling to his body. He had seen Peter in the suit a few times before and it had always been a challenge not to ogle him. At least, he had a forest fire to distract him today.

They split into two groups and boarded two jets. Peter dragged his friends to the Stark jet and hovered behind Mr. Stark.

“Hey, sweet pea. You want to sit next to me and help me out?” Tony asked as he jerked his chin towards the cockpit.

Peter ignored the giggles coming from behind. Mr. Stark had probably called him ‘sweet pea’ to embarrass him in front of his friends, but he could only care about what was being suggested. “You’re going to fly this thing yourself? That is awesome! And, oh my god, you want me to be your co-pilot?”

“That’s right.” Tony gave the boy a pleased smile and patted him on the back. “We don’t have time for small talk, so let’s get this thing in the air. All right, other peas. Find a seat and buckle up.”

Everyone did as they were told and Peter watched in awe as Mr. Stark skillfully got the jet up in the sky.

“Do you want to do the honors?” Tony held up the microphone. “Someone has to welcome our passengers aboard.”

Peter nodded the hell out of his head. The only time that he had been on a plane was when Mr. Stark had recruited him for the fight in Germany. It hadn’t been a commercial flight, so there had been no announcements from the captain, but luckily for him, he had watched a lot of movies.

“Give it a go.” Tony ruffled the kid’s hair and kept his eyes ahead.

“Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. This is your co-pilot speaking. We are expected to arrive at the site of the forest fire in California in about two hours. It normally takes about five hours to reach our destination, but Captain Stark has generously put us on a Stark super jet. In case of emergency, please save yourself with your superpowers. If you can’t, please do as Captain Stark says. Our destination is burning at the moment, but Storm would have worked up a storm, so the weather is expected to be rainy with bad visibility. Nevertheless, we wish you a pleasant flight and there’s snack at the back of the plane. We have no crew, so please help yourself. Thank you for flying with Stark Industries and we hope to never see you again.”

Tony chuckled as the kids in the back cheered.

“Was that okay?” Peter asked. “Did I joke too much in a bad situation?”

“That was perfect, kiddo. That was the best in-flight announcement I’ve ever heard.” Tony held up his thumb.

Peter beamed. “Thanks, Mr. Stark! I just wanted to make them laugh. I’m used to patrols and missions, but most of them aren’t. They’re probably really nervous right now.”

Tony was about to tell the kid how thoughtful he was when the jet dropped. Everyone screamed, but it only lasted two seconds.

“Sorry!” Jean grinned as she held up both hands. “Just getting everyone ready for the mission.”

As Jean laughed and everyone else grumbled, the jet shot through the air with the cutest superheroes on board.

 

Charles sighed as he spotted Peter standing next to his mentor, listening to a fireman explain the evacuation plan. He hadn’t wanted to set the age of volunteers as low as fifteen, but they needed Spider-Man’s help. In fact, he didn’t feel comfortable letting _any_ minors out on potentially dangerous missions, but he knew that his students itched for a piece of action.

_‘Charles? What is it?’_ Tony sensed that something was bothering his friend. His head felt a little funny and it wasn’t because of the rain hitting the top of his Iron Man suit. _‘Come on, talk to me.’_

_‘Well, you know how I feel about my children and missions. What makes this worse is that it’s a fire. People are predictable and I can read their minds. But who can predict the direction and the speed of the ever-changing wind?’_

_‘Don’t worry your pretty head, Charles. We only picked the ones that can handle themselves and they have enough supervision here.’_

Charles took a look around and checked if everyone had their gear on. _‘Oh, well… Let’s get on with it then. I’ll see if there’s anyone who desperately needs our help.’_

As Charles closed his eyes to scan the area, the fireman’s explanation came to an end and Tony took off into the sky. He spoke into the com, “Peter, don’t hesitate to shout for me if anything goes wrong. You hear me?”

“Yes, Mr. Stark. Don’t worry.”

“I worry because you might want to impress your friends.”

Peter just cleared his throat and started swinging. He was glad that his webs were sticky enough to hold onto wet trees. It was weird and worrying to see the fire going on despite the heavy rain. Storm was a powerful mutant, but it was windy and the fire was bigger and stronger than they had expected. He swung faster, hoping to find an animal in need. Since he had KAREN and Spidey senses, he had been tasked to help animals -the creatures that Professor Xavier and Jean couldn’t locate with telepathy.

_Yip._

KAREN: “Peter, did you hear that?”

“Yeah! What was that?” Peter swung towards where he thought that the sound had come from.

KAREN: “I can’t see it, but I think it was a rabbit.”

“Okay, let’s keep our eyes open.” Peter slowed down and narrowed his eyes to zoom in on the ground. He heard another yelp and spotted the rabbit under a tree. Its fur had darkened because of the fire and it was shivering. He landed on the ground gently to avoid scaring the already scared rabbit. “Shh, it’s okay. My name’s Peter and I’m going to get you out of here.”

The rabbit looked up but didn’t move. Peter had a feeling that it found his mask strange and intimidating. So he took it off and crouched with his arms open. “Come here, bunny.”

“Peter, why is your mask off? It’s not safe yet.”

Peter winced as Mr. Stark’s voice boomed in his ears. Thankfully, the rabbit hopped into his arms. “It’s back on, Mr. Stark. Is everything okay over there? It sounds like you’re struggling.”

“That’s because I _am_ struggling. But no worries. I’ll figure it out.” Tony was busy trying to calm down a female deer that had hurt two of her legs. He had managed to hold onto the back of her neck, but she was refusing to let him guide her to safety. “Miss D, we don’t have time for this. Do you want to hear a soothing song? Doe, a deer, a female deer~ Come on, be a dear, deer.”

Tony chuckled, but the deer didn’t look impressed. Then he got an idea and pulled out the blueberry compartment of his suit. The deer finally showed some interest in him and followed the blueberries in his palm. “Good girl. Keep coming.”

_‘That sounds rather dirty, Anthony. Already met a girl you like?’_ Charles giggled in Iron Man’s head.

_‘You’re the dirty one, sweetheart. I was just singing the innocent ‘Do Re Mi’ song from ‘The Sound of Music’.’_ Tony carefully wrapped his arms around the deer to lift her off the ground.

_‘Well, haven’t you heard? I used to go out with Tony Stark. He’s into brilliant and filthy minds.’_

Tony had to laugh. That was so true. _‘I don’t mind all this, but do we have time to flirt?’_

_‘This isn’t flirting. I wanted to tell you that the Squirrel Squad is ready. Doreen’s sending a squirrel to your location as we speak. You’ll be working with Squirmy.’_

_‘Squirmy?’_ Tony didn’t know who that was, but it didn’t sound promising. _‘I’m already dealing with a squirmy deer, Charles. Isn’t there anyone else? What about Squeezy? Peter said he knows him a bit.’_ He powered through the air with the deer.

_‘Squeezy is with Peter right now and Squirmy’s ancestors are war heroes. They fought in the American Civil War.’_

_‘You’re making that up, right?’_ Tony landed in front of the vet’s van and handed over the deer to a young doctor called Scott McCall.

_‘You can ask him yourself.’_ Charles smiled and moved onto Kitty who was wondering why the rain had stopped. _‘Storm needs a break, love.’_

_‘She’s not hurt, is she?’_ Kitty asked as she adjusted her oxygen mask. She looked up to Storm and wished that she could be as powerful as her someday.

_‘She’s fine, darling. How are things on your end? Did you get the old lady out of her house?’_

_‘Yes. I phased with her through the fire and Silver ran with her. She thought I was an angel.’_ Kitty blushed.

_‘You are, my dear. You are.’_ Charles gave her a mental hug and made sure that she felt how proud he was of her. _‘You did a wonderful job, Kitty. It looks like Bobby could use your help. I’ll have Silver take you there.’_

Charles felt like a battle coordinator as he worked with Doreen to direct people and squirrels around. The wind rushed past them while Storm sat next to him and gathered her strength. Everyone was working hard, but this was going to take a while.

 

“Mr. Stark! Help!”

Tony had already started flying towards Peter before he had even finished his words. He had been on the receiving end of various ‘Mr. Stark!’s and he could easily recognize the different tones. Right now, he would guess that the kid needed his help pretty badly but he wasn’t in any danger. “Peter, I’m on my way. Talk to me.”

“There’s a mama bear and her cub. The cub’s heartbeat is too weak. I tried to get closer to take it to the vet, but the mama bear won’t let me. Squeezy tried talking to her, but I don’t think she understands what he’s saying.”

“What else did you try?” Tony flew faster despite the wind and the rain. The cub’s life might be on the line.

“I used web grenades to keep her feet on the ground, but they didn’t stick well because of the puddles and boy, she’s strong! She also roared really loudly and frightened Squeezy to death. She charged at me and I barely dodged her paws.”

“You have taser webs, kid. Use them.” Tony looked down and made sure that Squirmy wasn’t squirming too much in his metal grip.

“But that’s cruel! You still have those tranquilizer guns, right?”

“I do. But I’m not sure if they’ll be enough to put down a bear of this size that quickly.” Tony landed on the scene and shot all the tranquilizers from his shoulders. The bear was gigantic! Had it got bitten by a radioactive bear? Or had the postnatal care not gone too well? The bear’s angry roar shook the ground and Tony saw the squirrels cover their ears.

“Mr. Stark, the cub’s heartbeat is getting weaker!” Peter shouted as he let Squeezy cuddle up against his chest. “We don’t have the time!”

“Look away, kid. I’ve got this.” Tony boosted the power in his right fist.

“What?”

“Look up and tell me if you can see Storm.” Tony punched the bear in the face as soon as Peter looked up. The bear went down, splashing water everywhere. “Okay, hand over the cub.”

Peter picked up the cub and rushed to Mr. Stark.

“FRIDAY, let Dr. McCall know that we have an unconscious bear cub on the way,” Tony ordered as he flew away. “Peter, get the mom out of here. I imagine she’d like to be around her baby. We’ll have people ready for her.”

“You got it, Mr. Stark.” Peter webbed up the bear. He had to reload to secure her properly and started to drag her through the forest. He could handle her weight, but he didn’t think that he could run. He was tired after hours of hard work and it wasn’t easy to operate in the rain. Besides, he didn’t want to slam the bear into any trees as he navigated the rough terrain. Squeezy and Squirmy were sitting on the bear, looking around for signs of life. The fire had almost gone out, but the air still smelled burned and nasty.

He wondered if his friends were available right now. Earlier, Jean had been tearing down a cabin and Kurt had been rescuing stranded campers near the water. Kitty had been resting after pushing herself too much and Silver had been running all over the forest helping anyone in his way. _‘Professor, is there anyone nearby who can give me a hand? I have a huge bear to drag.’_

_‘Let me see. I’ll send you someone right away.’_ Charles added a mental pat to his answer.

“Hey, sweet pea!” Silver appeared in a yellow fireman suit, complete with the helmet and the oxygen mask and tank.

“Haha, very funny.” Peter stopped and rolled his eyes, but the mask hid his eyes from view and he was actually happy to see him.

“Did you eat?” Silver asked as he patted the yawning squirrels on the head.

“Yeah, Mr. Stark got me burgers and fries a couple hours ago. We ate while Storm was taking her lunch break. The squirrels had some fruit. You?”

“I ate with Jean, Kitty, and Bobby. We had burritos.” Silver sat down on a fallen tree.

“Bobby? Wasn’t that awkward? I mean, he’s Kitty’s ex and it looked like she didn’t want anything to do with him.” Peter sat next to Silver. He figured that he could use a short break. He was getting more and more tired by the minute.

Silver shrugged and stretched his arms. “It was surprisingly okay. They had worked together before lunch, so I guess they broke the _ice_ back then.”

Peter chuckled since Bobby was ‘Iceman’. He noticed that the squirrels had fallen asleep in their tiny raincoats and couldn’t help but yawn at the sight. At least, the rain had come to a stop. He took off his mask and gave it a good shake. “Thank god Mr. Stark put a heater in here. How are you holding up? You look cute by the way, like a lost mouse drenched in rain.”

“Cute? A lost mouse?” Silver pretended to be offended. “I was hoping you’d say I looked like one of those fiery-hot fire fighters, no pun intended. You know, the ones that get invited to half-naked calendar photo shoots.”

“Hahaha…” Peter thought that it was only natural to be reminded of Silver in a small Speedo during swimming class. He felt like that image breathed some life into his exhausted bones. “Fine. You look hot. Now that we’ve stroked your ego, let’s get this bear moving.”

“Okay.” Silver kissed Peter on the cheek and enjoyed his shy smile. He got up and stood behind the bear. “Hop on, Spidey.”

“What? You want me to sit on the bear?” Peter had never thought that he would get to say such a weird sentence.

“Yep. You look exhausted. Luckily for us, my legs are still holding up.” Silver grinned.

“Okay, we’ll take turns then.” Peter yawned once more and settled down behind the squirrels. He held onto them in case Silver ran fast enough to knock them off the bear.

Silver jogged lightly, zigzagging to avoid the trees. He tested out a few different speeds since he didn’t want to go too fast and shave the bear’s body hair. Besides, even though he ran a lot each and every day, he was pretty worn out. He just hoped that Peter wouldn’t notice it too soon and get some much-needed rest.

“Hang on, Sil. I think I heard something.” Peter pricked up his ears. “There!”

Silver looked up at the tall tree that Peter was pointing at. He squinted to get a better look. “Is that an owl?”

“Yeah.” Peter shot a web at the tree trunk and leapt. In the hollow of the tree was a trembling owl with a broken wing. “It’s okay, buddy. We’re taking you to the doctor.”

“Oh, crap.” Silver looked up at the sky. Storm must’ve felt the need to make it rain again. At least, the air quality seemed better and he could put down the heavy oxygen tank on the bear.

“Hey, do you have any water left? I’m thirsty.” Peter asked as he walked back with the owl in his arms.

“Nope. But we can drink rainwater.” Silver picked a sizeable leaf from a tree and gathered some rain on it. “Here. Take a sip.”

“Haha, I feel like we’re filming ‘Man vs. Wild’.” Peter giggled and picked a leaf to offer some water to the owl.

The squirrels woke up at the rain, so everyone drank some water except for the bear. Peter wondered how long it would take for her to regain consciousness. They would have to move quickly or get some help. She was webbed up well enough, but he was running low on web fluid and Silver looked as tired as he was.

“Hop on, Speedy.” Peter tried to imitate Silver’s voice.

“No way. It’s not your turn yet. I barely got to push the bear before we had to rescue Owly.” Silver glanced at the owl who was hooting affectionately at the squirrels.

“But you look like you’re going to drop any minute. And, remember, I’m the one with super strength.” Peter smiled and picked up his friend before depositing him on the bear. He tried to move back and go to the front to pull the bear, but Silver held onto his arm. “What is it?”

Silver pulled Peter down and kissed him on the lips. They just looked really shiny in the rain and he was very weak at the moment. He saw Squeezy and Squirmy cover each other’s eyes in his peripheral vision and had a feeling that the owl was judging him. But nothing else mattered because Peter was kissing him back.

Peter pulled back and put a hand on his chest. The kiss had only lasted a few seconds, but his heart was thumping hard. He was a romantic at heart and had ‘kissing in the rain’ on his bucket list. He had never thought that it would happen like this and so early in life, but the sooner the better. “That was lovely, but it’s still my turn to drag the bear. Sit tight.”

Silver laughed as the rain stopped again and gave him a nod. He felt amazing and slightly delirious. He wondered if he had hurt his head during the mission; perhaps he had fainted and Charles had thrown him something nice to dream about while he was out.

Peter pulled the web that was attached to the bear and walked as quickly as possible. He chuckled as he realized that they were a motley crew. They were two mutants, two squirrels, a bear, and an owl trying to get out of the forest. It felt like a scene from the Aesop’s Fables or a joke that started with ‘Two mutants walk into the forest’.

“Do you want to hear something funny?” Peter started giggling even before he told the joke. “We’re both _squirrel_ ly kids, but I can’t _bear_ this situation anymore. I simply don’t want to move! Do you think we should h _owl_ for help?”

Peter giggled some more. He thought that it was rather brilliant of him to get all three animals in there. “Silver?”

He turned his head and found every single one of his companions fast asleep. Oh, well… he supposed that he could tell the joke again later.

 

Peter hummed in a small voice as he kept moving his feet. Now that there was no fire and no rain, it felt quite peaceful to be moving quietly through the forest. He tried not to think about the weight on his shoulder and focused on the uplifting music that KAREN was playing for him. He had put the mask back on to rely on his trustworthy A.I. instead of his worn out senses. “KAREN, how far is it?”

KAREN: “We’re almost there, Peter.”

“Bah, you said that twice already.”

KAREN: “Well, your questions were only a few minutes apart. I wasn’t lying, Peter. We really are almost there.”

“All right.” Peter narrowed down his world to putting one foot in front of the other. He was grateful that KAREN was such a great sidekick. He thought about asking for Mr. Stark’s help, but he must be busy if he was so silent on the com.

KAREN: “Peter! There’s a…”

_Roar!_

Holy cow! Well, bear… Peter gulped as an even bigger bear made its presence known. It was still far away, but it was clearly coming over. Silver and the animals had jumped awake and Silver had fallen to the ground in his haste to stand up.

“What was _that_? Another bear?!” Silver tried to soothe the owl that attempted to fly away with only one functioning wing.

“Yeah. Maybe it knows our mama bear.” Peter looked down and checked that the bear was still out of it. “Grab the animals and go. I’ll take care of this.”

“No way! I can run with everyone. Well, except for the mama bear.”

“We’re not leaving her behind!”

“Why not?”

“How is she going to find her cub then?”

Peter sounded so agonized that Silver decided not to argue the point. “Fine. Then I’ll use my oxygen tank to knock out our visitor.”

“No! No violence against animal friends!”

“What the hell do you want to do then?” Silver wanted to pull out his very nice hair. “It’s coming!”

Peter was debating if using his taser web was any more humane than using Silver’s oxygen tank when KAREN put him out of his misery and told him that he had nearly run out of web fluid. That was when he remembered Harley talking about that movie scene with Bulky and the motorbike. He didn’t want to use Silver as bait, but he could probably grab the charging bear and ride it out of the forest with the mama bear in tow. “I have an idea.”

“For some reason, I don’t like the sound of it!” Silver gathered the animals in his arms, ready to get them to safety.

“Can you please trust me and start running slowly?” Peter eyed the new bear that had started to run.

“Slowly?” Silver was baffled. “Why on burned earth would I go slowly?!”

He sprinted towards Peter as the bear ran into plain sight. It didn’t get a chance to attack though; help had just arrived out of thin air. He watched as Iron Man shot tranquilizers out of his shoulders while War Machine threw a net to capture the bear.

“You guys okay?” Kurt asked, thumping his blue tail on the ground.

“Yeah,” Silver answered. “Thanks for coming.”

“No problem!” Tony spoke for the backup team and asked Kurt to teleport with the bears.

“Mr. Stark!” Peter flopped down on the ground at the sight of his hero. He felt like he couldn’t move a single muscle anymore.

“It’s over, kid. We’re going home.” Tony lifted his faceplate so the boy could see his face.

“That sounds great.” Peter took off his mask and gave him a faint smile.

“Are you hurt?” Tony picked up his boy from the dirty ground and gave Rhodey a nod. His friend could handle the rest of the team.

“No. I just… I had a plan.”

“I’m sure you did. You can tell me all about it on the jet, okay?” Tony pushed down his faceplate and soared into the air.

“Okay.” Peter found that his eyelids were growing heavier.

“Good. Now put your mask back on. You did well, kiddo.”

“Thanks, Mr. Stark…” Peter got the mask halfway down his face before going out like a light.

Tony made sure that his grip wasn’t too tight as he headed straight for the Stark jet. He wanted to introduce Rhodey and Vision to the boy, but it could wait. Peter was used to short bursts of fights and today’s mission had been more of a marathon. His heart felt a little heavy to see the kid completely exhausted, but it was heartwarming to know that he trusted him enough to fall asleep on him.

_‘You really should give yourself more credit,’_ Charles scolded in a gentle tone. _‘If you knew just how much he trusted you… Let’s just say that I can’t share that with you because I think you might pass out from the shock.’_

Tony chuckled. _‘I trust you to teach some sense into him. He can’t grow up trusting everyone around him. Sadly enough, a lot of your enemies are pretty close to you.’_

_‘I will certainly do my part, but my children can think for themselves.’_

Tony could feel the pride rolling off his friend. Clint had been like that whenever he talked about his kids too. _‘Is there a father/father figure club in New York where we can all meet up and cry over our kids?’_

_‘Anthony… What do you think country clubs are for? There’s a reason why we stay away from the city and cameras to hit tiny balls in the air. After each hole, we huddle on the green and exchange cute pictures. Then we shed manly tears and pretend that we didn’t.’_

Tony chuckled hard. _‘Is that your way of inviting me to play golf with you?’_

_‘Yes. We haven’t played together in ages. Peter can drive the cart if he wants to.’_

_‘Of course he wants to.’_ Tony liked to think that he knew his boy pretty well by now.

_‘Wonderful. I’ll talk to you back in New York. Have a safe flight.’_

_‘You too,’_ Tony ended the conversation and looked down. Peter was still safely asleep in his arms with his mouth hanging open. “FRI, take a picture for me, will you? I’m going to crush Charles on the green.”

Peter was adorable as he was, but Tony found himself flying faster in case the kid started to drool on him. Thankfully, he always considered it useful to have extra motivation to fly home as soon as possible.

 


End file.
